Where to view
Japan is home to cherry blossoms or sakura and there are more than 1000 viewing places across the country. For overseas visitors, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hokkaido and Fukuoka are top destinations. Apart form these cities, some spots are also strongly recommended, such as Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture, Hirosaki Park in Aomori Prefecture, Kawazu in Shizuoka Prefecture, Takato Castle Ruins Park in Nagano Prefecture, etc.
The Best Viewing Time in 2021
Opened:
| Osaka | March 25 to April 2 |
| Nara | April 2 to 10 |
| Kanazawa | March 27 to April 4 |
| Yoshino | March 29 to April 5 |
| Fuji Five Lakes | March 27 to April 2 |
| Matsumoto | March 31 to April 8 |
| Fukushima | March 29 to April 6 |
| Sendai | April 2 to 10 |
Not open yet(estimated):
| Sapporo | April 27 to May 4 |
| Hirosaki | April 19 to 27 |
| Hakodate | April 27 to May 4 |
| Kakunodate | April 20 to 29 |
| Kitakami | April 16 to 23 |
| Takayama | April 7 to 15 |
When to view
The full bloom of cherry blossoms in Kushiro (Hokkaido) on May 13th marked the end of cherry blossom season in Japan in 2020. According to sakura.weathermap.jp, the first bloom in 2021 will be earlier than it in 2020.
Cherry blossoms in Amami/Okinawa bloomed at the end of January to early February, middle April to early May in Tohoku/Hokkaido and late March to early April in the rest of regions in Japan.
Below is the cherry blossom viewing calendar in 2021.
| Location | First Bloom in 2020 | First Bloom in 2021 | Full Bloom in 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sapporo (Hokkaido) |
24-April |
24-April |
28-April |
|
Aomori (Aomori) |
19-April |
14-April |
20-April |
|
Sendai (Miyagi) |
05-April |
27-March |
03-April |
|
Niigata (Niigata) |
05-April |
27-March |
02-April |
|
Tokyo |
21-March |
15-March |
23-March |
|
Shizuoka (Shizuoka) |
28-March |
21-March |
31-March |
|
Kanazawa (Ishikawa) |
01-April |
17-March |
23-March |
|
Nagoya (Aichi) |
22-March |
17-March |
27-March |
|
Kyoto |
27-March |
17-March |
25-March |
|
Osaka |
27-March |
19-March |
28-March |
|
Matsuyama (Ehime) |
22-March |
16-March |
28-March |
|
Hiroshima (Hiroshima) |
22-March |
16-March |
25-March |
|
Fukuoka (Fukuoka) |
21-March |
15-March |
27-March |
|
Nagasaki (Nagasaki) |
20-March |
20-March |
30-March |
|
Kagoshima (Kagoshima) |
25-March |
26-March |
05-April |
|
Naha (Okinawa) |
10-January |
06-January |
03-February |
