There is nothing in the world quite like Sakura season in Japan. It’s magical! It’s a treat to the eyes, body, and soul. Beauty reigns in every corner of Japan during the Cherry Blossom Season. Ah, wish I could be there right now. I would probably just sit on the grass and admire the beauty of the place.
There’s even a Japanese word, Hanami, specifically devoted to the viewing of cherry blossoms (and picnicking beneath them). For a brief window each spring, Japan’s parks, gardens, and canal-sides blush with fleeting blooms of pink and white.
It’s celebration time in Japan during this season. The Japanese eat and drink, making the tradition of blossom-viewing more like a picnic under the trees. People bring home-cooked meals, make barbecued foods, or buy take-out food to mark the occasion. Thousands of people flock to the parks to spend some time with their family and friends.
The cherry blossoms bloom once in a year and they last only for a period of two weeks. The best time visit Japan during cherry blossom is between March and April which is the typical bloom cycle.
So, let us give you a feel of how beautiful Japan looks during this season and some of the top places in Japan to see cherry blossoms. I am sure these pictures would swoon heart!
If you’re in Tokyo, try Shinjuku Gyoen, a park which is just a short walk from Shinjuku Station, has more than 1,000 species of flowering cherry, or sakura, trees and is one of the best places to see the blooms.
Another park in the vicinity, Yoyogi, has fewer cherry blossom trees than other parks in Tokyo, but its wide lawns and forests makes it a favourite haunt among young couples.
This is Ueno Park in Tokyo, which is quite famous for its cherry blossom blooms. No matter the time you come, it’s always crowded and the atmosphere here is quite lively as this place attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors during Sakura season. Enjoy a stroll, browse goodies at the antique market and enjoy the beautiful blossom.
Don’t miss the Fuji Five Lakes region as well during Cherry Blossom as it offers a spectacular scenery. A good spot for early morning photos of Fuji with sakura in the foreground is at Chureito Pagoda. A visual treat! Isn’t it?
A walk along the Philosopher’s Path and Kyoto Botanical Garden in Kyoto is a real springtime treat!
Mount Yoshino is another amazing place to witness cherry blossoms. It is covered with over 30,000 cherry trees and is Japan’s most popular cherry blossom viewing spot for centuries Japan’s most popular cherry blossom viewing spot for centuries. Take a look!
Then there’s Himeji Castle in Himeji which is surrounded by 1000 cherry trees which burst into life, promising a stunning spot for a hanami picnic or a boat trip around the moat.
Take a trip up to the north of Honshu to see the sakura at Hirosaki Castle, considered one of the best places to see cherry blossoms in Japan. Here you’ll find more than 2,600 trees, petal-topped moats, boats for rental, and picnic areas.
Located on the east coast of Izu Peninsula, Kawazu is a small town that boats of being one of the most popular earliest blooming sakura viewing spots with 8,000 trees.
For a change, visit the Hakodate Park in the evening! The Yozakura (night viewing) of the illuminated cherry blossom trees is a local favourite.
Last but not the least, the Osaka Castle grounds is also one of the best places to see these beauties. With the majestic castle peeking behind the 4000 over sakura trees, pack a picnic basket and spend the day at the Nishinomaru Park in the western citadel.
There you go! Japan does look like a dreamland during this time of the year.
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