Japan's cherry blossom season in Japan in April. Photo / 123rf
Japan's cherry blossom season in Japan in April. Photo / 123rf
Japan’s cherry blossom season is an ultimate bucket list travel destination. Here’s everything you need to know about the season of Sakura bloom.
The four seasons of Japan transform the whole country and create a unique experience for every traveller. Summer is full of fireworks, festivals, hiking, and water sports. Autumn is filled with flowers and leaves of vibrant colours, hikes, and warm cups of coffee. Winters are cold, filled with snow, onsens, and outdoor activities. Lastly, spring is the most awaited season: a dreamlike, Ghibli movie scene come to life, as cherry blossoms fill the streets of Japan.
It is impossible to think of springtime Japan without an iconic image of a sea of cherry trees. Photo / Getty Images
It is impossible to think of springtime Japan without an iconic image of a sea of cherry trees awash with perfect pink blooms instantly coming to mind. They are swooned over during picnics. They are painstakingly painted. They are obsessed over in poems. They are cited as a symbol of the transient nature of life. And they are a sight to behold.
Every year, the blossoms attract people from all walks of life - from salarymen and students to housewives and grannies to tourists from all over the world - takes part in the Sakura craze. A pretty pink, jampacked month filled with hanami picnics, the Cherry Blossom Festival, and everything Sakura-themed in every corner of the country.
The Japanese have long been celebrated as global leaders in the art of cherry blossom appreciation. Photo / Getty Images
What is Japan’s cherry blossom season and why is it important?
The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, known as Sakura, is the celebration of the beauty of nature and the welcoming of spring. The well-loved cherry blossom season generally takes place from late March to early April, and it symbolises new beginnings and hope.
In celebration, locals indulge in the tradition of Hanami, or “the viewing of flowers”, and will spend weeks organising picnics and tours to see the best cherry blossom trees.
The flowers are deeply symbolic: their short-lived existence taps into a long-held appreciation of the beauty of the fleeting nature of life, echoed across the nation’s cultural heritage, from tea ceremonies to wabi sabi ceramics. They are the floral embodiment of Japan’s most deep-rooted cultural and philosophical beliefs.
The cherry blossom festival is filled with beautiful parks full of people, Sakura-themed food and drinks, and live performances. Each hanami spot offers a host of unique activities and attractions for all to enjoy.
The Japanese government has extended measures to make sure that sakura front or the forecast of cherry blossom blooms are accurate. Photo / 123rf
What is the Sakura front?
In Japan, the cherry blossom craze starts with the televised Cherry Blossom Forecast which offers a petal-by-petal analysis of the advance of the blooms - known as the Sakura front.
The nation prides itself on its devotion to the important task of forecasting the exact arrival of the first cherry blossoms. Since 1951, teams of meteorologists have been dispatched to monitor the advance of the cherry blossom front - Sakura zensen in Japanese - as they burst into bloom across the country.
Today, it is a hi-tech affair, with forecasts and scientists undertaking complicated mathematical equations filling television screens in the build-up to their appearance.
Officials traditionally observe the pale pink blooms of the yoshino cherry tree - Japan’s most common type - with the season declared open when at least five or six flowers have opened on a sample tree in any given area.
The flowers only bloom for around a week before the so-called “Sakura snow” effect starts and the petals fall from the trees. When the blooms arrive, locals and visitors alike flock to the Sakura spots and take time off to indulge in one of the nation’s all-time favourite pastimes.
The blooms are short-lived, and cherry blossom parks are flocked with locals and tourists enjoying the views and hanami. Photo / Getty Images
When is the best time to see Japan’s cherry blossom trees?
Though there are concerns regarding the early blooms this year (mostly due to climate change), the peak of the cherry blossom season still falls around the same time every year.
This year, the earliest flowering started in Nagoya on March 21. Tokyo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Osaka followed the next week, with cherry blossoms flowering from March 22 to March 25.
Full blooms are the most anticipated time for cherry blossoms, but the schedule varies per region. The first week of April is shaping up to be a wonderful time for Japan, as beautiful parks will be filled with rich cherry blossom trees and a flock of hanami goers.
If you’re looking to visit in late spring, the latest blooms will be at the end of April and early May in the region of Sapporo.
The capital is a good starting point. It may be famed for its concrete and skyscrapers but also excels for its hanami nature spots. There are numerous picnic-friendly locations - in parks and alongside rivers - that have been planted with carefully choreographed clusters of cherry trees in recent centuries, to dramatic effect.
Highlights include Ueno Park, one of Japan’s oldest and most famous public spaces (also home to a string of top museums, shrines and ponds), which attracts epic-sized crowds to admire its 1000-plus blooming cherry blossoms. A more sedate alternative is Shinjuku Gyoen, a surprisingly serene and beautifully maintained park a short walk from the neon blare of Shinjuku, with 1500 cherry trees and expanses of lawn (entry costs Y200 for adults, Y50 for children).
Another cult spot is Nakameguro, a creative neighbourhood south of Shibuya, with a cherry-tree-lined canal: perfect for an evening stroll, the trees are lit up with lanterns after dark while the canalside roads bustle with food and drinks stalls.
Meanwhile, the eastern neighbourhood of Yanaka - featuring charming narrow lanes and old wooden houses with tiny restaurants and craftsmen - is worth a visit for its cherry tree-filled cemetery.
It all starts at the bottom - more precisely, the far-flung southernmost subtropical islands of Okinawa, home to Japan’s first cherry blossoms. The blooms - often bell-shaped and a deeper pink than other regions - arrive mid-January, with viewing spots including the wild forested Yanbaru area in the north of the main Okinawa Island.
The ruins of Nakijin castle are another highlight, with a famed tunnel of cherry trees illuminated with lanterns in the grounds of the Unesco World Heritage site every night during its Sakura season.
Next up: Kyushu, Japan’s third biggest island (located above Okinawa and fringed by the Pacific), famed for its warm climate, hot spring onsen baths and volcanoes. Kyushu’s Kumamoto city is a popular spot, namely for its famed tiered castle and 1,000-plus cherry trees in full bloom.
Cherry blossoms at the Hirano Shrine in Kyoto. Photo / Getty Images
Kyoto
The famed ancient capital of Japan provides a perfectly dreamy backdrop for cherry blossom appreciation - albeit alongside the biggest crowds of the year. The best flower spots include Maruyama Park, packed with hanami picnickers from day to night; the Kamo River, lined with large cherry trees; and the bloom-filled Imperial Palace Park.
A more peaceful option is perhaps a late-night stroll along the Philosopher’s Path, which runs alongside a cherry tree-lined canal, leading to a string of hidden temples and shrines. For a more luxurious - and more secluded - taste of Kyoto’s cherry blossoms, consider checking into Hoshinoya Kyoto, an exclusive riverside retreat that effortlessly fuses traditional aesthetics with contemporary Japanese design, complete with cherry trees in its grounds.
See the majestic views of cherry blossom blooms with Mount Fuji at Honshu Island. Photo / Getty Images
Honshu island
One lesser-known beauty spot is Gifu, a mountainous prefecture on the central island of Honshu, which is home to the famed Takayama Spring Festival.
Exquisitely ornate festive floats, handcrafted using centuries-old artisan techniques, are paraded across bridges, down lanes and past clusters of cherry trees throughout Takayama city.
Bathing and blossoms are another winning formula. Kinosaki Onsen, a hot spring resort in southwestern Hyogo prefecture, is the perfect spot to check into a traditional ryokan and soak in onsen baths - against a backdrop of picture-perfect cherry blossoms trees that line its streets and riverbanks.
Cherry blossoms in the Miyagi prefecture Photo / Getty Images
The north
Those arriving in Japan a little later (from early April onwards) should head north. Tohoku is a mecca for cherry blossom.
Hitome Senbonzakura in Miyagi prefecture offers an eye-catching vista of 1000 cherry trees lining a river against the striking backdrop of snowcapped mountains.
Kakunodate is famed for its romantically weeping cherry trees which were brought to the region from Kyoto hundreds of years ago by local samurai.
The final hurrah of Japan’s cherry blossom celebrations can be found in Hokkaido, the northernmost island (from April 30 this year, according to forecasts). The main city Sapporo is awash with cherry blossoms (Maruyama Park and Hokkaido-jingu shrine in particular) while the adventurous could even squeeze in some skiing with Sakura views.
Locals and tourists celebrate the blooms by enjoying hanami (cherry blossom viewing) at parks. Photo / Getty Images
Top tips to enjoy the Sakura season
Cherry blossom season is one of the busiest times of year to travel to Japan.
Since the cherry blossom festival is a cultural celebration of beauty, both locals and tourists want to see the picturesque blooms and set up picnic mats in the best spots.
If you’re heading to popular areas such as Kyoto, prepare your itinerary early so you can get the best hanami experience. Do your research and pick the best cherry blossom spot close to food markets, public restrooms and public transport. We would avoid places that are near major tourist attractions since everyone is going to want a spot under the cherry blossom trees. Less touristy parks are the perfect spot to enjoy the atmosphere, admire flowers, and spend quality time with family and friends.
Blend into the crowds in Kyoto with a selfie stick. Photo / Getty Images
Hanami is simple. Find an empty space beneath the trees and enjoy. Be courteous to other visitors and respect the area. Avoid making too much unnecessary noise, as some locals prefer a quieter atmosphere to slow down and reflect. If you are looking for a unique experience, “yozakura” or viewing of illuminated cherry blossoms at night is a crowd favourite too.
A good hanami experience has to have good food. Pick up some snacks, ideally a delicious seasonal bento box, from a local supermarket or a depachika - the ground- floor food hall of a department store, which brim with food options. Don’t miss out on good picnic baskets filled with classic hanami treats like tamagoyaki, mochi, onigiri, dumplings, bentos, and other Sakura-themed food.
Pack a waterproof tarpaulin or a picnic blanket to spread out in the grass and don’t forget to bring a few picnic essentials like garbage bags, wet wipes, and chopsticks. Wear warm clothes - or better yet, rent a kimono - and bring a camera to capture the beauty of the trees.
Visit Japan’s tourism websites and social media channels to get updates on the Sakura forecast.
Checklist
JAPAN
GETTING THERE
Fly non-stop from Auckland to Tokyo with Air New Zealand. Flight time is approx. 11 hours.
