nature & seasons · Japan
Cherry Blossom Season (Hanami)
花見 / 桜
The short answer
Hanami is the custom of viewing cherry blossoms in parks, along rivers and at temples across Japan each spring. There are no fixed dates: the bloom is tracked by forecasts and usually lasts about one to two weeks in each city.
Where
Nationwide (Tokyo, Kyoto, Sapporo and others)
Country
Japan
When
annual, forecast-based; bloom moves north from late March (Tokyo, Kyoto) to late April or early May (Sapporo)
Next edition
Not announced yet
Good to know
Typical windows: Tokyo average first bloom 24 March (Japan Weather Association average shown on the JNTO page), full bloom about a week later; Kyoto late March to early April (2026 forecast: first bloom 24 March, full bloom 31 March, from secondary reports of the Japan Meteorological Corporation forecast); Sapporo average first bloom 1 May. The 2026 forecast put Tokyo first bloom at 19 March and Sapporo at 19 April (JNTO page) or late April (other forecasters); observed 2026 dates were not found, so the last-edition fields are left empty. Forecasts for the 2027 season are normally published from December or January and revised several times.
Kungfucius says: The blossoms last a week and the forecasts are followed like election results.
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