Gourmet Flyer Cherry blossoms in Japan draw huge crowds from people around the World every year and there are certainly many reasons for it. Not only are they some of the most beautiful backdrops for portrait photography, but they are also some of the most scenic and picturesque landscapes. The different flowers with varying shades of pink, when blended together, create some of the most delightful and romantic atmosphere that makes a walk in the park feels like a stroll in heaven.
I am sharing with you here my most recent trip in 2025 which covers the cities of Tokyo, Yokohama, and Osaka. You can easily follow my journey as a guide to your future visits to enjoy these iconic blooming Sakura of Japan. I will give you a lot of logistical tips and hacks to help you navigate your way around what sometimes feels like paradise in a maze.
Table of Contents
Etiquette
As with every destination in the World that you visit, you leave behind only your footprints and take away only your memories.
There may not be any or enough garbage bins in the parks, especially when they are very crowded. If you cannot find a trash bin, take your trash with you to discard them elsewhere later.
Do not touch the flowers, especially do not pull down the branches to take pictures or shake them to create a scene of falling petals. Never attempt to break a branch to take it with you.
When to Go
This is the first and foremost step – before you even submit your vacation request or purchase your air tickets. Knowing the dates is vital, otherwise you could be there either too early or too late and end up in disappointments.
Cherry blossom in Japan is an exact science and the dates vary greatly by cities and by year, mostly depending on the weather. The country’s weather authority, the Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC), publishes its official forecast on its website here. I also highly recommend that you download its official app “Sakura Navi” in either the Apple Store or Google Play. The app not only gives you the dates on all major cities, but it also gives you a breakdown of the dates by parks and regions within a city.
There are only two columns that really matter. The “forecasted flowering date” is when the Sakura begin to bloom. If you arrive before this date, you’ll most likely see very few or no blossoms at all. The “forecasted full bloom date” is just what the name describes. The Sakura trees are gorgeous even before full bloom and the flowers can last a few days up to maybe a week. Typically, the best time to arrive is the full bloom date plus or minus (+/-) three (3) days. If you plan on seeing cherry blossoms in multiple cities, these dates will serve as a guide to planning your itinerary – which is exactly why my trip was in the order: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka.
Tokyo
If you plan on visiting the two largest cherry blossom parks in Tokyo on the same day, I recommend seeing Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden first, largely because it closes at 5:30pm during spring season and there are no festivities at night. Moreover, there are plenty of open spaces for hanami, or cherry blossom picnics. This is the perfect time to grab one of those pretty and yummy bento boxes from a train station and enjoy it under the charming trees. However, note that alcohol is not allowed inside the park and it is enforced.
Admission is ¥500. Note that during peak season weekends in late March to early April, advance online reservations are required to enter. But walk-in admissions are still allowed on weekdays.
Shinjuku has some of the largest and grandest looking trees in Tokyo, and it is also home to many of the trees with a brighter and darker shade of pink.
However, the most dominant specie is still the Yoshino cherry, one of Japan’s most traditional and popular Sakura trees. The flowers are easily recognizable by their five distinctly white petals (although some hybrids could contain a pale shade of pink).
The park is huge, and it spans 144 acres (Disneyland in California is about 100 acres). As you stroll along a path or walk from one region to another, you’ll notice changes in the shades of the petals as well as the varieties of the trees. For example, in the picture above, you can see a medley of Sakura blending together, creating a charming and harmonious scene.
One of the very popular varieties is the “weeping cherry” as the branches gracefully weep (or bend) toward the ground, creating a wall-like backdrop for an elegant and romantic portrait.
Our next stop, Ueno Park, is certainly the most festive venue in Tokyo, hosting a vibrant atmosphere with food booths and live entertainment throughout the day into the evening. The major pathway is Sakura Dori which is lined with about 800 trees and is divided during the season to direct crowds to move in one-way directions.
Even more so than its neighbor Shinjuku, the most dominant flowers are the white and traditional Yoshino cherry. Some of the trees are rather large, with their branches extending to create what appear to be a sea of white flowers that almost cover the sky.
As you stroll along Sakura Dori, be sure to take detours along the way to explore the various areas near the main pathway. There are a few spots that you need to climb some rather steep stairs to get to, but you will be rewarded with some hidden gems, such as one of the very few trees in the park that has bright and deep pink petals.
Even on the main path itself, take time to discover a few other flowers that range from pale to a brighter pink. But to me, it appears that Ueno does not have as many varieties as Shinjuku Gyoen does.
At night, the entire Sakura Dori is lit up by lanterns, creating one of the most enchanting cherry blossom scenes in Tokyo.
The flowers, being lit up by the lanterns, show off another dimension of their true colors, adding a touch of magic to the atmosphere.
When it’s time to eat, there are two sections of food booths. The smaller cluster is located near the entrance to the park opposite the Ameyoko Shopping Street (be sure to check it out while you are already in the area). Contrary to Shinjuku, drinking alcohol is permitted in Ueno Park during the festival. In fact, they sell beer and sake there.
The other food section that looks like a night market is on the side where the Tokyo National Museum is located, in the area on the opposite side of the large fountain. There are several aisles of food booths with plenty of selections, whether you want just a light snack or a full meal.
The first thing that I grabbed was a banana crepe – yes, I do eat dessert first!
Near each food court area there are live entertainments all day through closing time. There is a wide range of performances, from traditional music to sizzling J-Pop and everything in between.
Before we leave Tokyo and head to Yokohama, let me remind you that there are many iconic things to do and plenty of cultural dining opportunities in the city, so be sure to go check them out. In fact, while you are here, you can squeeze in one or two of the World-famous museums right here in Ueno Park.
Yokohama
The major area to appreciate cherry blossom in Yokohama is around the famous Minato Mirai 21 (Minatomirai Line stop MM03). But before we go there, we’ll take the Landmark Tower exit and first explore the several dozens of Yoshino trees that line both sides of Sakura Dori (street). There you will find the pure white version as well as the hybrid Somei-Yoshino which have pale pink petals.
We’ll follow the road and head to the center of MM21. You don’t need to know your way and you won’t need a GPS device. Just follow the long line of people heading to that direction.
If you are not sure, let the giant Ferris wheel be your guide. You should be going in the direction towards it.
Cherry blossom along the river in Yokohama is gorgeous as there are all the perfect backdrops complementing the colorful flowers. There are boats sailing on the river, stylish buildings accompanied by a giant Ferris wheel, and cable cars gliding from above. The lawns underneath the huge trees are also great spots to relax or enjoy a hanami.
Here is another breathtaking view from above, taken from the World Porters. The blooming flowers along the river look like a clip taken straight out of an anime, with a sea of delicate pink petals in different shades blending together in harmony. Scenes like this are often used in anime to symbolize friendship or love.
World Porters is a large shopping, dining, and entertainment complex and is a great spot to take a break and recharge your battery. Tip: There are plenty of restrooms available if you just happen to need to use one. It’s on your left near the end of the path along the river, where the cable cars come out.
There are many restaurants that appeal to different appetites and budgets and chances are you will find something that you like. Japanese style Italian food is delicious, and my wife and I both enjoyed our pasta dishes at Pietro. Pictured above is a dish of spaghetti with shrimps in lobster sauce. Some restaurants that I recommend are Saizeriya for Japanese style pizzas and Italian café foods, Katsuraku for tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet), and the vibrant diner in Hawaiian Town for an aloha experience.
Another activity is to take a boat tour and there are two available. The river cruise takes you along the river only, but this is where you’ll see the perspective of the cherry blossom from the waters. You’ll get to see plenty of them — many of which are too far from walking distance.
The harbor cruise takes you out to sea, passing by the Red House and the cruise terminal. You can get a panoramic view of the skyline of the city but not many trees or flowers.
There are certainly plenty of other things to do in Yokohama besides cherry blossom, and there are many yummy good eats as well. Check out my blog post here for an exciting one-day itinerary in the city which also includes ideas on getting here and back to Tokyo.
Osaka
The center of the cherry blossom universe in Osaka is in the parks and along the moats that surround Osaka Castle, on the castle grounds itself, as well as along the Neya and Daini Neya Rivers in the area.
The entire region is huge, so I am posting a map above for your reference. But chances are you’ll probably still get lost somewhere along the way. But it is perfectly fine to get lost in paradise, as almost everywhere you go, you’ll be surrounded by clusters of gorgeous blooming Sakura.
There are many ways to approach this and one path that I recommend is to take the Osaka Loop Line and get off at Osakakojoen Station. This way, you get to walk along the river and absorb every ounce of the beautiful scenery there.
The flowers are mostly pure white to pale pink, occasionally punctuated by a few with bright pink petals. Spaces are abundant to enjoy a picnic or hanami, even though as crowded the place may seem. During the weekends of the peak seasons, there are food vendors as well as live entertainments.
Besides walking, another option to explore the enchanting waterways include taking a guided tour of the city and castle plus a river cruise which gives you the best vantage points of the blooming trees. You can actually take this tour anytime of the year and it will still give you a refreshing and different perspective of the city as seen from the river.
As you walk along the river toward the castle, you’ll eventually see a section populated by about a dozen or so food booths. Let me give you an important tip: There is no food service inside the castle. In the building next to the castle there is one small café and two full-service restaurants but getting into them is close to impossible during peak season.
The day my wife and I were there, they were only seating parties with advance reservation and sending away all walk-in customers. So, if you are hungry, I highly recommend that you eat here before continuing on your way. Shown above is my favorite pan-fried xiao long bao (XLB) which is a juicy pork dumpling.
Once you reach the castle’s grounds, there are numerous great photo spots for you to snap that Instagram worthy picture that all your followers will like. Take your time to smell the roses (or cherry) and roam around freely to fully explore the landscapes. If you’ve never been to Osaka Castle, this will be a great opportunity to visit this historical landmark that is rich in tradition and culture. Admission as of this writing is ¥1,200.
Of all the gardens and parks in the area, one of the must-visit is the Peach Grove by the North Outer Moat (don’t forget I posted a map earlier), as designated by the sign shown above.
This garden has probably the most vibrant collection featuring many varieties – a lot more than what I’ve seen everywhere else. Shown above are branches with both white and bright pink flowers growing on the same tree. This is a hybrid created by grafting two species together.
Talking about varieties, can you see that the picture above has cherry trees of five different varieties, ranging from pure white to varying shades of pink to a deep burgundy color?
Before you leave Osaka, be sure to check out the many epic things to do and yummy cultural dining spots in the city.
Conclusion
Enjoying and appreciating cherry blossom in Japan is almost an endless experience with endless opportunities, numerous possible pathways, and many unexpected turns and twists. Some of the most gorgeous and jaw-dropping Sakura could appear in front of you anytime, anywhere, unexpectedly. While I just showed you the major hot spots in Tokyo, Yokohama, and Osaka, cherry blossoms exist in a much larger scale and there are numerous other places where you can enjoy these enchanting blooming flowers in a more serene environment without a crowd.
Near the end of this trip, I managed to catch such an intimate moment in an almost deserted path in Hiroshima. So, this article is more of a framework rather than a guide. Given the fundamentals provided, I wish that you’ll walk your journey in an adventurous way, cherish plenty of mesmerizing moments, and take home some of your fondest memories.
