Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival 2027

Dates for the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival 2027 had not been announced as of September 18, 2026. The most recent edition, the 36th, ran February 7 - March 8, 2026, along the Kawazu River in Izu, Shizuoka -- a 3-minute walk from Kawazu Station on the Izu Kyuko Line, and entry is free. Until Kawazu Town and its tourism association publish the 37th edition's window, the early-February-to-early-March timing shown on this page is a working estimate based on when the blossoms open -- not an announced schedule (see "Schedule" below).

What it is and why it matters

Kawazu-zakura is Japan's earliest-blooming cherry, opening up to a month before Tokyo's Somei-yoshino, with flowers in a much deeper pink that lingers on the branch for weeks rather than days. The variety exists because of a single wild sapling: in 1955, a Kawazu resident named Katsumi Iida found a roughly 1-meter-tall young cherry tree growing wild beside the Kawazu River and transplanted it to his garden. It first flowered in 1966, was identified as a new natural hybrid, and was officially named "Kawazu-zakura" in 1974 -- the tree was designated Kawazu's official town tree the following year and, now about 70 years old, still stands near the town hall. Cuttings from that one tree now line the river, with roughly 850 trees along the main promenade alone, drawing an estimated one million visitors each festival.

Schedule (2027 dates not yet announced)

Source: the official Kawazu Zakura Matsuri site and its official pamphlet, checked September 18, 2026. The official site still carries only the 36th edition (February 7 - March 8, 2026); there is no 2027 entry. Blooming has trended earlier in recent years and opening dates have moved up with it, but the February 6 - March 7, 2027 window on this page is only an estimate. Check kawazuzakura.jp once Kawazu Town confirms the 37th edition.

Getting there and tickets

There's no admission fee -- anyone can walk the riverside path for free. The main course runs about 4km along the Kawazu River between Mine Bridge (峰大橋) and Hama Bridge (浜橋), a roughly 45-minute walk end to end, with the entrance closest to Kawazu Station about a 3-minute walk from the platform. From Tokyo, the direct JR "Odoriko" limited express takes about 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes to Kawazu; alternatively, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Atami and change to the JR Ito Line. Drivers should budget ¥1,000 for standard-car parking (¥500 motorcycles, ¥4,000 microbuses, ¥7,000 large buses) at the festival's paid lots.

Practical tips

Come after dark for the illumination -- sections of the blossom-lined river are lit up in the evening, a quieter second way to see the trees once the daytime crowds thin out. Riverside food stalls sell Izu specialties like fresh mikan, wasabi and seafood, and mostly expect cash. Because Kawazu-zakura blooms so early and lasts so long, it's a lower-stress alternative to chasing Tokyo's fast, unpredictable sakura peak -- but the trade-off is a roughly 2.5-hour trip each way from central Tokyo, so plan for a full day. If you're building a trip around this page's estimated dates, hold off on non-refundable bookings until Kawazu Town confirms the 2027 schedule.