When cherry blossoms bloom in spring, Tokyo gets into a festive mood. For city residents, cherry blossoms are a symbol of celebration, nostalgic and aesthetic pleasure, or just a great reason to throw a party. All city residents want to go outside and spend as much time as possible under flowering trees.
In Tokyo, the hanami season begins in the second half of March and lasts approximately two weeks. The exact flowering dates are highly dependent on weather conditions. The city has hundreds of parks, streets, gardens, temples and rivers with cherry trees. And today we want to tell you about the twenty most popular places in Tokyo to admire cherry blossoms.
Tidorigafuti Ditch
Hundreds of cherry blossom trees grow along the moat of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. To admire the luxurious flowers not only from the shores, you can rent a boat and take a walk on the water surface, covered with fallen petals, which are especially abundant at the end of the flowering season. The Tidorigafuti moat is an incredibly beautiful place, especially when all the flowers are in bloom. It is such a popular hanami destination that you can wait in line for hours before you can rent a boat.
When did the ancient tradition begin?
The first mentions of the holiday were found in the chronicles of the Tang Dynasty. The imperial family also took part in the celebration; the ladies of the court decorated their hair with blossoming flowers. The spring event was accompanied by the preparation of national treats, games, poetry and musical evenings.
Initially, the symbol of Hanami. Cherry took its place in the 9th century, when the land of the rising sun began to search for national identity. During the reign of the Tokugawa dynasty, the number of cherry orchards in the country increased by a third. The ruler believed that the tree could give the samurai courage. The Japanese believed in the divine power of the plant, worshiped it and made offerings.
The tradition was broken with the coming to power of Mutsuhito (19th century), he considered the cherry blossom festival a symbol of feudal power, so he ordered the gardens to be cut down. After several centuries, the celebrations resumed.
Shinjukugyoen Park
Shinjukugyoen is a 144-acre park located in the central Tokyo district of Shinjuku. There are about 1,500 sakura trees in the park. The park is quite large and it is easy to find a quiet, peaceful place. The park has more than a dozen different types of cherry blossoms and has an entrance fee and limited visiting hours. This is a popular place for cherry blossom viewing with the whole family, so noisy parties are not often held here.
Cherry blossom calendar by prefecture in Japan
| City | Opening of buds | Best time to see, full color |
| Tokyo | March 14th | March 22 |
| Kyoto | March 22 | 30th of March |
| Kumamoto | 21 March | April 2 |
| Fukuoka | 21 March | April 2 |
| Hiroshima | March 22 | April 2 |
| Takamatsu | March 24 | April, 4 |
| Osaka | March 23 | April 3 |
| Nara | 26 March | April 3 |
| Yoshino | March 28 | April 3 |
| Nagoya | March 22 | April 1 |
| Yokohama | 18th of March | March 28 |
| Kanazawa | 26 March | April 1 |
| Matsumoto | March 25 | April 3 |
| Fukushima | March 28 | April 3 |
| Sendai | March 28 | April, 4 |
| Kakunodate | April 8 | 12th of April |
| Hirosaki (Aomori) | April 17 | April 23 |
| Hakodate (Hokkaido) | 26 April | 1st of May |
| Sapporo | April 30 | May 2 |
Meguro River
There are about 800 cherry trees along the banks of the Meguro River in Nakameguro. During the Nakameguro Sakura Festival they are illuminated brightly at night. The Meguro River itself is more like a city canal, but the trees here are very beautiful. It's a great place to walk, but there isn't much room for parties. The area is home to many fashionable shops, cafés and restaurants.
HIMEJI CASTLE
It is the finest surviving masterpiece of early 17th century Japanese castle architecture. The castle consists of 83 buildings, protected by defensive systems and ingenious devices from the early Shogunate period.
During the Shogunate era, many castles were built in Japan. Many of them were later demolished, others were lost during the war. There are only a few left, and Himeji Castle stands out from its peers in the degree of preservation.
Inokashira Park
The park covers 95 acres and contains approximately 1,000 trees. Young people traditionally gather here to celebrate hanami because there are several large universities nearby. The park is also popular with couples who love to ride on swan-shaped boats on the Inokashira Pond. However, according to local legend, it is believed that such couples are doomed to break up.
OSAKA CASTLE
Osaka Castle was built in the late 16th century by the military ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi; it burned during battles in the 17th century and was later rebuilt. Collections of weapons, armor and household items are displayed in the halls from the 1st to 7th floors, and there is an observation deck on the 8th floor.
The castle is adjacent to a spacious park, where sakura lovers come in the spring. Nearby is the Osaka Municipal Museum, where you can learn about the city's culture and history.
Aoyama Cemetery
At Aoyama Cemetery, several hundred cherry trees form a pleasant alley that runs right through the cemetery. Office workers who work in this area often go for a walk along this alley during their lunch break or in the evening after work. It would seem a little awkward to host parties among graves. But perhaps this could lift the spirits of the deceased.
KUMAMOTO CASTLE
The beautiful Kumamoto Castle on the southern island of Kyushu is also called Ginkgo Castle or Crow Castle. This grandiose structure, built at the beginning of the 17th century and completely restored in 1960, is a very popular museum among tourists.
Unfortunately, it was damaged in the earthquake on April 14, 2021 and was closed for restoration. But the cherry orchard that surrounds it still attracts many hanami fans with its beauty.
Kinuta Park
A large grassy park in Yoga, near Setagaya. The park is lined with spreading cherry trees, under which residents who live nearby usually take place for parties. However, the park is much less crowded than other more popular hanami spots.
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INUYAMA CASTLE
Inuyama Castle in the city of the same name claims to be the oldest in Japan. Rising above the Kiso River, which borders Aichi and Gifu prefectures, it has survived wars and natural disasters, but looks just as it did in 1537, when it was first built.
The castle retains original furnishings from the samurai era. Steep wooden stairs, light folding screens, clothes, household items, armor, weapons. On the top tier there is an observation deck, from where you can clearly see the majestic Kiso River, bridges, the old and new city, and hills spreading out in all directions to the horizon.
Temples, small altars and points for observing the surrounding area are scattered throughout the castle.
At the Sanko Inari Shrine, with a small gallery of red gates - torii - those who are unlucky in love come to pray. People write down their deepest dreams and hopes on small pink prayer tablets, calling on the spirits for help in finding their soulmate.
How to celebrate
The depiction of cherry blossoms in art has changed over time and culture. One type of tree often shown in paintings and photographs today is the somei-yoshino, which is pale pink in color with light petals. However, in fact, there are many varieties. Throughout Japan, one of the earliest species was the Yamazakura mountain cherry. It was placed in the center of an image of cherry blossoms, closely associated with mountain deity and spiritual symbolism.
In fact, hanami now is not much different from how the emperor celebrated it. The cherry blossoms coincide with the opening ceremony for the new school period and the resumption of work after the holidays. Once this time comes, companies organize picnics in the places where they want to see the blooms. The Japanese take bento with rice balls and fried chicken. People often bring cans of beer or sake, a Japanese rice wine. But the holiday doesn't end there. Companies go out to observe the flowers at night. Especially for this purpose, some parks are decorated with lamps, creating a magnificent spectacle. One of the most beautiful places in Japan to admire the cherry blossoms is the Yasukuni Shrine in the Kudanshita area of Tokyo.
Hanami - impermanence of life
For a brief moment every spring from late March to April, flowering trees brighten Japan with color. Despite its fleeting nature, the event has deep meaning for local residents. It is covered by Japanese news channels, and the meteorological agency issues a forecast for the bloom, which starts in the south and goes north. It is noteworthy that this year flowering began much earlier than expected, for the first time in a long time: on March 11 in Hiroshima Prefecture. During this period, people take advantage of the moment and organize a real holiday to fully appreciate the beauty of cherry blossoms and falling.
The custom is called "hanami" or "flower viewing" and has a long history that dates back to the Heian period. Then the court servants spent their free time contemplating plum and cherry trees. Emperor Saga adopted the custom and organized parties where he drank sake and ate a variety of dishes under flowering trees in the Kyoto Imperial Court.
Tree blossoms were used as the main theme in poetry competitions at court from that time on. The image later appeared in a famous folk tale that is now considered the world's first novel: The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu.
In the first imperial anthology, sakura featured prominently in poetry known as waka, which translated means "Japanese song." A poem by Ariwara no Narihira reads:
If there were no Sakura in the world, the heart would not worry in the spring.
However, the author does not call flowers peaceful; on the contrary, they disturb human peace and excite the mind and heart. These feelings are explained by the Japanese aesthetic perception that was popular during the Heian era: "mono no aware" or "the sad charm of things." In essence, this feeling is a recognition of the transitory beauty of nature. Then and now, cherry blossoms are closely associated with Japanese aesthetics from the 8th to 12th centuries.
Historian Paul Varley says that the aesthetic is well described in the preface to the poetry anthology Shin kokin waka-shu. The author writes about the ability to be touched by the beauty of nature or the feelings of people. It is the ability to appreciate nature that is closely related to the fleetingness of the moment and the decay of beauty.
