The weather plays a big role in when the blossoms appear, and colder weather tends to delay appearance. Regular updates on the cherry blossom front are provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency first releases their official blooming schedule in early March and then provides nightly schedule updates throughout spring at www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html.

Perhaps Tokyo’s most popular location for the sakura is Ueno Park which houses many of the nation’s most famous museums, including the Tokyo National Museum, the National Science Museum and the Tokyo Metropolitan Fine Art Gallery, as well as Japan’s first zoo. The 1,000 cherry trees found throughout park make it extremely popular with visitors during sakura season. Food vendors lining the parks pathways and Ameyoko, a busy market street located next to the train station all add to the area’s festive air.

A slightly more sedate cherry blossom experience can be found at Shunjuku Gyoen, Tokyo’s largest park. Located in Japan’s bustling Shinjuku commercial district, the park features three different types of gardens, a French formal garden, a British landscape garden, and a traditional Japanese garden. The 1,000 cherry trees encompass a dozen different species. The park, also popular for bird watching, is completely secluded from the commercial district outside its boundaries.

Mount Yoshino

Many Japanese consider Japan’s best sakura viewing spot to be Mount Yoshino located in the Nara Prefecture, just two hours outside of Nara City. The sakura here start blossoming some four days after Tokyo, usually around the first of April. Nearly 200 different species make up the 30,000 cherry trees that cover the mountainside-making it a not-to-be-missed location.

Probably the best way to take in the landscape is by following the Yoshino Mountain Pathway, a four-hour round-trip walk. On the trail, visitors  come across the Kinpusenji Temple, a site so lovely it became the founding site of “mountaineering asceticism,” a sect of Buddhism that incorporates ancient mountain worship. Slightly further along the trail is the Yoshimizu Jinja Shrine, which used to serve as the housing for the monks worshiping at Kinpunsenji. The grounds surrounding the shrine provide a breathtaking panoramic vista of Yoshino Mountain in its cherry-blossom-covered splendor.

Further along the trail lies the Chikurin-in Buddhist temple. Now a ryokan (traditional inn), the temple houses a delightful garden, designed by Senno Rikyu, the same man who invented the Japanese tea ceremony. The garden is home to a 300-year old weeping cherry tree, and is well known for its scenic open-air bathhouse. The inn is exceptionally popular during cherry season, and reservations should be made well in advance of travel.

Kyoto

Less than an hour from Nara lies Kyoto, one of Japan’s most popular visitor destinations. Kyoto’s cherry blossoms generally emerge at the same time as those in Nara, making the two cities a perfect combination for sakura viewing.

The Kyoto Imperial Palace, home of Japan’s royal family until 1868, is a must-see location any time of year, but with its 1,000 cherry trees it offers a one of Kyoto’s grandest sakura viewing spots. The palace and its grounds are only accessible by guided tour and advance reservations are required.

Kyoto’s most popular location for cherry blossom viewing is the city’s oldest public park, Maruyama Park. Located next to Gion, Kyoto’s famed Geisha district, photographers come to this area in hopes of snapping a picture of an apprentice Geisha strolling beneath a blooming sakura tree. Here, the cherry blossom trees are lit up at night, with food vendors and evening activities..

In Kyoto prefecture, one of the most romantic cherry blossom viewing sites is located along the 2-kilometer stroll called The Walk of Philosophy, which connects Kyoto’s Silver Pavilion (Ginkakuji) to the Nanzen-ji temple. Nearly 450 cherry trees are planted along the path, which has been designated as one of the top 100 paths of natural beauty in Japan. When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, the path is completely covered by a romantic “flower tunnel.”

Himeji

For travelers heading east by bullet train, from Kyoto to cities such as Hiroshima and Fukuoka, Himeji City is a popular stopover on the Sanyo Shinkansen line. The city is home of Himeji Castle, a UNESCO world heritage site, and one of the few Japanese castles that was not destroyed or damaged in wartime.

The castle is famous for its maze-style layout as well as its elaborate defense system. It features hundreds of cherry blossom trees and is exceptionally popular for its annual Himeji Castle Kanno-kai or Cherry Blossom Viewing Party. Japanese women often attend the festival dressed in kimono, and with tea ceremonies and traditional Japanese Koto music, the festival is the perfect place to absorb Japanese culture.

Osaka

Returning west to Osaka (for departures from Kansai International Airport) takes less than one hour by bullet train, and will provide further opportunities for cherry blossom viewing. The Osaka Castle, with its turbulent history, has suffered several episodes of warfare as well as a semi-debilitating lightning strike. The castle, which commenced construction in 1583 and was then restored to its current splendor in 1997, is now hugely popular year round, with a surge of visitors in spring time. The castle’s garden area, at nearly 15 acres, is covered with cherry blossoms.

More Information

For more information about Japan’s cherry blossom season, stop by the Visit Japan Campaign at the Los Angeles Times travel show, Feb. 10-11 at the Long Beach Convention Center. The show is the west coast’s largest consumer travel event and the VJC booth (#1023) is a popular for visitors.

Here you can meet with Japan travel specialists and receive guides and information to help you plan your trip to Japan. The booth is also hosting traditional Japanese cultural wood-carving demonstrations by sculptor Saburo Koga, a passionate sculptor depicting the close relationship between humans and trees. He promotes the practice of people carrying their own chopsticks to conserve natural resources.

Visitors to the VJC booth will also receive a special thank you gift for answering a questionnaire. (Gift supplies are limited, so visit the booth early.)  

 General admission to the show is $10 and travel agents (with an ASTA or IATA card) and children under 12 are admitted free of charge. The show is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, about Japan or its Cherry Blossom season, visit the Japan National Tourist Organization website at www.jnto.go.jp/eng.