Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. It is in the northwest Pacific Ocean and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, and Taiwan in the south. Cherry blossom season in Japan occurs annually throughout the spring season. While the peak viewing times vary from region to region, most cherry blossom festivals begin around the end of March and can last well into the month of May.

Expected full bloom dates for cherry blossom in Japan in 2024

Yoshino, Nara prefecture April 5
Himeji Castle, Hyogo prefecture April 2
Fuji Five Lakes, Yamanashi prefecture April 10
Hirosaki Castle, Aomori prefecture April 25
Tokyo March 29
Kyoto, Kyoto prefecture March 31
Matsumae Park, Hokkaido prefecture May 6
Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto prefecture March 27
Miharu, Fukushima prefecture April 16

Japan’s first cherry blossoms of 2024 have already arrived, with some peak blooms happening this week. The springtime arrival of sakura (cherry blossom)
is such a big deal in the country that the Japan Meteorological Corporation issues weekly forecasts ahead of the season, with daily reports on them on
the national news and festivals held in their honour.

The very first festival to coincide with the country’s first blooms — the Motobu Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival in Okinawa — is
normally held sometime around mid-January to early February. Most festivals take place between March and May. It’s hard to predict
exactly when they might fall, but a good estimate is to see when they’ve occurred in the past five years and pick an average date from those.

Travel Japan

Experience the Cherry Blossom!!

Expected full bloom dates for cherry blossom in Japan in 2024