The Absolute Best Time Of Year To Visit Japan To See Cherry Blossoms

Japan is one of the world's most iconic travel destinations, and the country's famous cherry blossoms draw crowds of tourists every year. In 2024, the pink foliage of the sakura trees attracted over 3 million visitors from all over the world seeking the beautiful natural phenomenon.

If you're one of these millions of people wanting to witness the blossoming Japanese trees, you might be wondering what the best time to visit the country is. Surely you've thought about the spring months, as flowers typically blossom during this time — cherry trees included. However, cherry blossoms are quite ephemeral, with the flowers only appearing for up to two weeks each year, and the exact blooming dates depend on where the trees are located. 

While the best time to visit Japan depends on what you want to experience, you will enjoy pleasant temperatures and blooming cherry trees in spring (from March to May). The absolute best dates to partake in this wonderful occurrence need to be broken down into specifics, like the country's region you'll be visiting.

The tradition of flower viewing, or hanami, is a big event in Japan. So much so that as soon as the New Year starts, the Japan Meteorological Corporation begins updating forecasts of when to expect the blossoms in different regions across the country.

The bright pink tsunami of blossoming sakura trees begins in the south of Japan around late January and continues to spread northward until May. As such, every region's trees bloom on different days. The 2024 forecasts for some of the best spots for flower viewing predicted that Tokyo, which is home to more than 1,000 varieties of sakura, would start blooming around March 29, while Yoshino's over 30,000 trees began April 5.

Other popular tourist cities, like Kyoto, normally expect the pink blossoms to appear toward the end of March and last until early April. The Yamanashi prefecture (where the world's oldest hotel with a serene mountain hot spring is located) welcomes the blooms around April 10, while northern Hokkaido normally sees the pink sakura in early May. It is definitely safe to say that the absolute best time to visit Japan for hanami is early spring, and you could even stretch your visit until May if you feel like chasing the cherry blossoms around the island nation.

Although the exact blooming days vary depending on the year, if you arrive in Japan during the last weeks of March — especially in areas like or around Tokyo or any other harboring a large density of trees — you'll be able to enjoy the start of the hanami festivals. For the locals, hanami is a celebration of one of nature's most beautiful spectacles. Stalls are put up in a festival fashion, where visitors can delight in local food, snacks, and drinks featuring seasonal sakura flavors. The venues are decorated with glimmering lanterns so visitors can engage in yozakura, which is the act of watching the trees' dancing flowers as they are illuminated at night. 

Some of the most popular places in Japan to enjoy the early spring hanami festivals have a vast amount of trees. These include Mount Yoshino in the Nara prefecture, Philosopher's Path in Kyoto, the Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo, and the Himeji Castle in the Hyogo prefecture, where the trees adorn ancient palaces. Wherever you choose to visit the cherry trees during their blooming days, just be sure to check the forecasts so you don't miss a second of the spring sakura season.