Come March, Japan bursts into pink and white blossoms as the island nation enters Sakura Season. Cherry trees bloom from South to North, blanketing the country in delicate cherry blossoms as spring arrives and starts to warm the land. While there is really no bad place to experience Sakura Season, which lasts well into April in the higher altitudes and latitudes, there are some truly magical spots to share this fleeting, beautiful event with locals and visitors, alike. 

So let’s float like blossoms on the breeze over Japan and peak in on just some of the magical places to experience Sakura Season. Not far from each stop is one of our fabulous, local photographers ready to capture you and the flowers together before they turn into the green leaves of spring.

Mount Yoshino

Mount Yoshino, or Yoshinoyama, actually refers to the North-facing slope of the mountain where 30,000 cherry trees were planted some 1,300 years ago, making this a popular hanami, or “flower viewing,” spot for centuries! Here you’ll find the wild-growing yamazakura variety of cherry trees, pink with five small petals. There is a ropeway to the top of the mountain, but the wait can be long. Taking the road up by foot instead immerses you in nature, allowing you to gaze up at blossoms at you walk, stop at shrines and temples in town, and burn off some of those cherry flavored goodies you’ll be sure to consume during Sakura Season. It will also cultivate that sense of calm that only nature can bring. And when you reach Hanayagura View Point, you’ll be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the mountain in a mantel of blossoms that will elicit joyful smiles of wonder. Hire one of our amazing vacation photographers to be there with you and capture it all so you don’t miss a thing!

The Fuji Five Lake Region

The Fuji Five Lake, or Fujigoko, region lies at the northern base of Mount Fuji and encompasses the lakes of Kawaguchiko, Saiko, Yamanakako, Shojiko and Motosuko. You’ll want to plan to spend some time here to make the most of the epic nature and hanami opportunities. One of the benefits of visiting this area during Sakura Season is that not only will you get amazing views and photos of cherry blossoms, but the region is one of the best places to view Mount Fuji close-up. That means you’ll have stunning Mt. Fuji and peaceful lakes as part of your hanami backdrop, making it a perfect place to travel with a photographer! Favorite photos ops are morning photos of Mount Fuji with sakura and Chureito Pagoda in the foreground or from the northern shore of Kawaguchiko, where blossoms frame the lake and mountain.

Kyoto

Known for its historic streets, beautiful temples, and lovely geishas, Kyoto is a magical destination year round, but visit during Sakura Season and you will feel as if you’ve drifted into a soft, sweet-smelling dream from which you won’t want to wake. Two exceptional areas for hanami are the Philosopher's Path and Maruyama Park. The Philosopher's Path runs along a canal lined with cherry trees. Magical in and of itself, you can also take splendid detours to see the blossoms surrounding Nanzenji Temple and those creating a white sakura canopy over the old Keage Incline, an abandoned cable railway. Maruyama Park has some 680 trees and many open-air blossom-viewing tearooms. From sunset to midnight the trees are lit up for yozakura, or the night viewing of blossoms. They seem to glow from some internal fairy light, the most stunning being the illuminated weeping cherry tree known as the Gion Yozakura. If you’re looking for a magical place for a surprise proposal, Kyoto during Sakura Season is an ideal spot, and with one of our travel photographers there to capture you both against the cherry blossoms you’ll have that moment to treasure again and again.

Hirosaki Castle

Hirosaki Castle and the park it sits in, both in the city of Hirosaki, are the perfect place for a late season hanami as the city is located in Northern Japan. The three-story castle is surrounded by a moat and some 2,600 trees with over 50 different varieties. Planted in 1715, the trees here are considered some of the largest in all of Japan and the park is home to the oldest and widest Somei Yoshino cherry tree. This is a favorite hanami spot for many reasons. Visitors can explore the gorgeous park, take boat rides on the blossom covered moat, stroll blossom tunnels, indulge in cherry blossom treats at food stands, and picnic beneath the canopy of blooming trees. During the day, the occasional blossom blizzard sends flowers whirling around visitors and blanketing the moat in pink petals, while after dark, the hanami experience becomes the even more magical yozakura as the trees are illuminated.

Tokyo

The capital of Japan, Tokyo is busy, populated, and modern. And yet, it is also said to have the most hamani sites in all the country! Befitting the world class city that it is, it gives lots of options when it comes to Sakura Season. For example, if you think you’ve arrived too early, head to Ueno Park, where the trees bloom a few days earlier than other spots throughout Tokyo. Visit at night when the soft blossoms are lit up by over 1000 paper lanterns for a yozakura experience. And if you think you’ve arrived too late to Tokyo for a hanami, make your way to Shinjuku Gyoen, a beautiful, manicured garden containing over 1,300 late blooming cherry trees and perfect spots for a hanami picnic. At the peak of Sakura Season and for a perfectly urban hanami experience, Meguro River near Nakameguro Station is the place to be, where 800 trees bloom along the river walkway where you can also lunch at cafes and browse chic shops, or return in the evening for dinner and a magical yozakura.

Saitobaru Burial Mounds

For a unique hanami holiday, travel to the Saitobaru Burial Mounds in Saito City. The experience will take Sakura Season to a new level as you get your hanami picnics and walks in amidst 2,000 cherry trees, while also visiting over 300 historic burial mounds and wandering fields of over 300,000 bright yellow canola flowers. The annual Saito Flower Festival means that the blossoms are lit up at night and food stalls appear nearby to enhance your cherry blossom viewing experience. While this is a popular spot, you won’t find the same crowds as some of the other more well-known hanami spots and will feel that you have spring and the Sakura Season all to yourself! The calm and tranquility of nature away from the large crowds will effuse your body and spirit, becoming visible in every smile and movement. Plan to have one of our professional vacation photographers with you and you’ll be able to capture this truly special experience.

Mifuneyama Rakuen

If you find yourself on one of the Southern islands of Japan in Sakura Season, Mifuneyama Rakuen in Takeo City is another park nestled at the base of a mountain and filled with spring flowers of all types. The park is beyond grand, covering over 500,000 square feet with Mt. Mifune rising up behind it, and holds over 2,000 sakura trees and 20,000 azalea plants which bloom at the same time, creating a sea of color from soft whites to bright pinks. The Hanamatsuri, or flower festival, starts in late March and signals the illumination of the cherry tree blossoms at night, offering that dreamy yozakura experience to visitors whether they wander the paths or relax in tea houses.

Osaka

Osaka is another major Sakura Season destination for the many spots throughout the city boasting blossoms. Cruise the Okawa River which runs through the Kema Sakuranomiya Park with its 5,000 blooming cherry trees that are beautiful to behold day or night. Or have a hanami picnic in the grass beneath another 5,000 sakura, as well as 1970’s installation art, like the Tower of the Sun, in the Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park which features a pond and rental boats. But perhaps for the most magical experience, venture into the grounds of the 16th century Osaka Castle where the white tiered structure creates a lovely backdrop to the 300 sakura trees in the peaceful Nishinomaru Garden. But no matter which park of Osaka you visit during fleeting Sakura Season, you will experience a beauty and romance you’ll wish you could hold on to forever. Travel with one of our vacation photographers and you’ll have those memories forever.