South-to-north bloom-front timing, how to bet the right week, night cherries, and booking lead times. (8 in-depth guides)
Peak sakura lasts about 7 days and shifts a week each year. Using historical-average bloom dates and how to read the annual forecast: which week is safest, the one week to bet, and where to chase a late bloom.
Tokyo late March, Kyoto and Osaka early April, Kawaguchiko mid-April, Hirosaki and Hokkaido late April — best week and booking lead time for each.
Same picnic mat, five different answers — the line is who runs the land, not which park.
Tokyo peaks late March and is the easiest to time — best hours for Meguro River, Chidorigafuchi, Shinjuku Gyoen, Ueno, plus a one-day route.
Kyoto peaks early April, later than Tokyo — Keage Incline, Philosopher's Path, Daigo-ji, Maruyama night cherries, and a Higashiyama day route.
The cherries + Mt. Fuji + pagoda postcard — Kawaguchiko peaks mid-April, two weeks after Tokyo. Spots, best hours, and access.
They open when Kyoto is done — Hirosaki's petal raft, Goryokaku, Sapporo: Golden Week sakura, late April to early May.
Osaka Castle + the Mint passage extra round (late cherries mid-April) + Okawa night cherries from a water bus.
From Shinjuku to Asakusa, from family trips to Mt. Fuji day excursions.
Browse →Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara — every Kansai travel essential covered.
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