Spending time in Japan during cherry blossom season is a sight to behold, making you feel
all pink and fuzzy inside.
If you are planning a trip to Japan and trying to maximise your cherry blossom experience,
then stay with us.
We will be highlighting some good to know information along with our favourite Tokyo
cherry blossom locations.
This is suitcase monkey climbing around on pink trees.
First, the progression of the cherry blossom bloom is as follows: It takes around 7 days
from the first buds opening to being at full bloom.
You then have about a week to enjoy the petals before they make way for green leaves.
To give an example, this is Tokyo 4 days after full bloom and this is Tokyo 7 days later.
Quite the difference.
In the end, it all come down to temperature and altitude.
The colder and higher the location, the later the bloom and a lot of this will come down to plain old luck.
The main thing to decide is obviously the dates for when to travel.
As an overall view of main land Japan, the opening of petals begin around late March,
ending towards mid/late April in the North.
Most charts you see refer to the opening of petals so full bloom takes place around a
week later, so usually very early April for Tokyo.
So keep this 7 days of opening in mind when working out an itinerary, along with the week
they actually last for.
I’d say it’s always best to travel with low expectations and you won’t be disappointed
since Tokyo is such an amazing place anyway.
All it takes is for some wind or rain and everything goes out of the window.
It’s definitely recommended to do some bespoke research online as each year there are official
predictions based on forecasts.
I have linked to a few below in the description.
But it’s also how you interpret that information and how far you want to go out of your way
to heighten the chances of seeing them.
For our 14 days in Japan, we planned our itinerary around how the blossoms were due to travel.
For example, in 2017, full bloom was expected in Tokyo around the 28th March and we were
landing there on the 4th April.
On the assumption that we were going to miss the blossom in Tokyo, we also planned for
some time in Nagano.
Since Nagano is at a higher altitude, the bloom usually occurs 2 weeks later.
This meant that if we missed full bloom in Tokyo, we might still catch the blossom in
Nagano, therefore improving our overall chances.
So planning your itinerary with this in mind is an option if you really want the full bloom experience.
As luck would have it, because Japans climate was colder than anticipated, full bloom actually
happened on the 3rd April which meant we pretty much hit it bang on and were incredibly lucky.
Because of this, I wanted to highlight some of our top places to experience Cherry Blossom whilst in Tokyo.
Number 1.
Yaskuni Shrine.
Putting aside some questionable politics, Yaskuni Shrine is a beautiful area located
in Central Tokyo.
When we visited there was a live traditional musical performance happening and the Japanese
garden was picture perfect.
(MUSIC)
Number 2.
Chidorigafuchi
For me, this was my favourite few hours of cherry blossoming in Tokyo with some peaceful
experiences and awesome photo opportunities.
Looking at a map, it’s the large area around the Budokan, just north of the Imperial Palace.
This area on the east side is nice enough anyway but walking from here around the moat
and along the walk way was a sight and a half.
(MUSIC)
Capping off this walk, is the chance to row your own boat with a quintessential backdrop.
Queues can build up quickly and we waited for almost an hour, so allow plenty of time.
Also, be aware that it can close if it’s too windy, but it’s definitely worth checking
out as it still ranks as one of my favourite Tokyo moments.
Number 3.
Yoyogi Park.
This is a great place to visit since it’s a fairly unique experience.
It’s a Japanese tradition where the locals will arrive armed with blue picnic blankets
to eat, drink and be merry into the late hours.
Stick around for the festival like atmosphere and get a feeling of how much the Japanese
really love this annual ritual.
Number 4.
Meguro River.
Meguro river is a place that is truly transformed with the addition of the cherry blossom.
A long river that runs through central Tokyo, the trees line the walkways magnificently,
especially at night.
An energetic vibe fills the area with street food and drinks, along with some awesome restaurants
which are well worth checking out.
For more information on things to do in Tokyo, check out my other guides, along with places
to visit just outside of Tokyo.
And, if you’re feeling adventurous, our complete 14 days in Japan are all wrapped
up in one monstrous movie.
And please hit the like and subscribe button for more in future as we travel around the
rest of the world.
Thanks for watching suitcase monkey.