Cherry Blossom 2026: Where & When

When to come

Hanami timing shifts every year with the weather, but as a guide, Tokyo and Kyoto usually peak from late March to early April, with the bloom front (sakura zensen) moving north through April and reaching Hokkaido in early May. Watch the official forecasts in March before locking in dates — full bloom (mankai) lasts only about a week.

Where to see it in Tokyo

Ueno Park is the classic hanami party: around 1,000 trees, lantern-lit paths and groups picnicking under the petals. For something more romantic, the Meguro River turns into a tunnel of pink, especially magical at night when the blossoms are lit and reflected on the water.

Beyond Tokyo

Kyoto's temples and the Arashiyama hills are spectacular in spring, and the bloom front means that if you miss the petals in one city, you may catch them further north a week or two later.

If you miss full bloom

Don't despair if the timing slips. Even before mankai, the half-open buds and early bloomers are lovely, and after the peak comes hanafubuki — a snowfall of petals drifting on the wind that many locals love even more than full bloom. Earlier-blooming varieties like kawazu-zakura open in February, and the front reaches northern Tohoku and Hokkaido weeks later, so a flexible itinerary almost always finds blossoms somewhere.

Hanami tips

• Bring a picnic sheet, snacks and drinks from a convenience store — picnicking under the trees is the whole point.
• Popular parks get crowded; mornings and weekdays are calmest, and evening light-ups offer a different mood.
• Take your trash with you; bins are scarce in parks.
• For the best photos, look for blossoms framed against water, a temple or a bridge rather than open sky.

Chase the bloom and you'll see Japan at its most poetic.