If you’ve opened the Instagram app anytime in the last 5 years, you’ve probably seen this—an ocean of pale pink and white sakura blossoms blooming against the blue and white of Mount Fuji, or the flowers raining petals down in the urban center of Tokyo.
Spring in Japan isn’t just about warmer weather; it’s about the ephemeral cherry blossoms brightening the landscape with delicate shades of pink and white, reminding us to live fully and beautifully. Of course, the limited-edition cherry blossom flavored sweets, scented cosmetics, and cute pink stationery are an added bonus as well—so if you’re in Japan during cherry blossom season, prepare to be dazzled!
Today, we’ll go on a comprehensive tour of 5 scenic cherry blossom spots near Tokyo, with a good mix of classic tourist spots, and more secluded spots that locals favor. And no worries—we’ll even go over transportation access, any entrance fees, items you’ll want to bring, and clothing recommendations!
1. Ueno Park
Ueno Park is one of the classic Tokyo spots for hanami, or cherry blossom viewing.
Since there are over 1000 cherry trees planted in the park, from the entrance walkway to around the pond, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll or a relaxing boat ride in a swan boat or rowboat while enjoying the sakura.
A unique Ueno Park experience? Lie back on a rowboat. Let it rock you as you feel the warm sun on your face and watch the cherry blossoms slowly flutter down on a gentle spring breeze, like pink snow against a clear blue sky.
Ueno Park holds an annual Sakura Matsuri, or cherry blossom festival, while the flowers bloom from late March to early April. Food stalls selling all sorts of candied fruit, deep fried chicken, yakisoba noodles, and skewers of meat and seafood.
There’s also the yozakura, or literally “cherry blossoms at night,” where the Ueno Park flowers are lit up with pink and orange lamps. One of my favorite things is laying out a picnic sheet under the illuminated blossoms and drinking and snacking the evening away—the atmosphere of the cherry blossom lamps, and the festive crowd around you merrily partying away—this is a quintessential Japanese experience that you can only see during the sakura season.
Basic Information
Entrance fee: Free, though the row boats and swan boats cost around 500-700 JPY per 30 minutes at the time of writing.
Number of cherry trees: 1000+
Light-up event: usually held between 18:00-22:00. Please check website for specifics.
Access: 5 minute walk from JR Ueno station, or Metro Ueno station.
As a popular transfer station, Ueno Station is connected to all the major tourist locations in Tokyo, such as Tokyo, Ikebukuro, Shibuya and Shinjuku Station.
2. Meguro River
Another Tokyo classic, Meguro River, is a walk-through type of viewing without a place to sit down.
Voted one of Tokyo’s most scenic Sakura photo spots—especially when the blossoms are lit up at night. Expect Meguro River to be packed.
The tunnel of cherry blossoms caging the river in from both sides is especially spectacular at night, when the lantern light glints off the river’s surface, making it glitter like starlight and pink diamonds.
To get there, just follow the crowd and the flow of pink and white along the riverbank, where hundreds of cherry trees line up, creating a breathtaking tunnel of blossoms reflected in the river. As dusk falls, the trees are lit up, casting a romantic glow over the scene.
The cherry trees line the river for 5 kilometers, or about 3 miles. The most popular (and crowded) place is definitely near Nakameguro station, where the more famous photo spots are. If you follow the river away from this area, you may be able to find spaces with fewer people.
Otherwise, join the mass of locals and tourists strolling along the riverbank, stop to admire the flowers, and indulge in some street food from the vendors lining the path. It’s the perfect way to immerse yourself in Tokyo’s cherry blossom culture.
Basic Information
Entrance fee: free
Number of cherry trees: 800+
Light up event: from 17:00 to 21:00
Access: 10 min walk from JR Yamanote Line’s Meguro Station, or 2 minutes from the metro’s Tokyu Toyoko Line Nakameguro station.
3. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Shinjuku Gyoen is a sprawling, green reserve of tranquility nestled in the beating heart of Shinjuku. During hanami season, the garden transforms into a paradise of cherry blossoms in every hue imaginable—in fact, Shinjuku Gyoen is famous for having a variety of cherry blossoms. Because of this, the different species of sakura bloom at varying times and shades of pink, from dark to light. The Japanese garden is also a must-see!
The park is huge, and there is a Starbucks Coffee inside with a modern Japanese-style interior if you need a break in the middle of your stroll. During the spring season, you can also expect Starbucks to have limited-edition sakura inspired drinks!
Just be aware that Shinjuku Gyoen is pretty strict about letting people picnic under the cherry trees, so this hanami is bound to be more tranquil and less festive than those at Ueno Park or Meguro River.
Basic Information
Entrance fee: 500 yen for adults, 250 yen for students and seniors
Number of cherry trees: 1100+
Light up event: Unclear. A light-up collaboration called “Naked Sakura” was held in 2023, but there is no information yet as of March 4, 2024.
Access: 10 minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station’s southeast exit, 5 minute walk from JR Sendagaya Station, 3 minutes from Metro Shinjuku-gyoenmae Station.
4. Sky Tree
This next spot isn’t a classic but a great little getaway with lovely photo ops. On the riverbank across from the Tokyo Skytree, while enjoying a lovely stroll by the river lined with sakura namiki, you can catch a glimpse of the Skytree through the ephemeral pink blooms.
As a bonus, as you walk towards the Skytree, be sure to stop inside for some Japanese souvenirs! The Skytree has a vast collection of Japan-themed goods—traditional toys and fans for the culture enthusiast, anime and manga goods for the pop culture fan, and both traditional and Western sweets for everyone. In the spring, you can expect a good amount of sakura-themed food and goods as well.
Basic Information
Entrance fee: Free
Number of cherry trees: Unknown
Light up event: None
Access: A few minutes walk from Metro Oshiage Station (Skytree).
5. Omiya Park (Saitama Prefecture)
My favorite on this list is a little ways from Tokyo—Omiya Koen is a vast park filled with over 1200 cherry trees, some of them hundreds of years old.
Picnicking here feels like being in a serene forest of cherry trees that surround you from all directions.
Because of the spacious nature of the park and the distance from central Tokyo, the crowds tend to be thinner and much more peaceful than Ueno Park or Meguro River. Take it from me—less jostling for photos, less bumping into people’s bags, less stress.
The only caveat is—more local families show up here, especially on the weekends, so expect some rambunctious kids to be running around as well!
Within the park premises also exists a small pond, mini zoo, museum, and a Shinto Shrine. But of course, during the spring season the main attraction is the groves of cherry trees. Omiya Park is northwest of central Tokyo, in the neighboring Saitama Prefecture. It has been ranked in the top 20 sakura spots in the entire country.
Roughly 50 minutes by train, you can take the JR Ueno-Tokyo Liner, JR Saikyo Line from Tokyo Station, or the Shonan-Shinjuku line from Shinjuku Station.
Trust me, the cherry blossoms here are glorious in full bloom and absolutely worth the ride to the outskirts.
Basic Information
Entrance fee: Free
Number of cherry trees: 1200+
Light up event: 19:00 – 21:00, though due to COVID, it hasn’t happened for a few years.
Access: 10 mins walk from Jr Omiya St., 6 min walk from Kita-Omiya St. from the Tobu Urban Park Line, 4 mins walk from Omiya Park St.
Honorable Mentions
Yoyogi Park: Yoyogi Park is a well-known cherry blossom picnic spot, and every year thousands of tourists flock there for photo and video opportunities. Expect there to be crowds, and probably loads of selfie-sticks!
Viewing Season, Clothing & Item Recommendations
Now comes the part where you learn to dress and prepare like a local! Let’s talk weather, clothes, and what to bring.
Weather & Viewing Season
Late March to early April is the usual season for cherry blossom viewing, and the blooms are forecasted online and on TV every year, since the flowers can bloom early or late depending on each year’s weather.
Since the short-lived cherry blossoms only bloom for 10-14 days on average, be sure to check the cherry blossom forecasts by the Japanese Meteorology Corporation and plan your trip soundly!
Early March in Tokyo can be pleasantly warm—or hell-freezes-over cold. One year in early April, I went on a hanami picnic with a group of friends, and it was cold enough to need down jackets, blankets, and penguin-huddles for body heat. In other years, a light jacket has been enough.
I recommend you check the temperature for the day you aim for, and dress for that weather. However, you’ll definitely want to have some kind of jacket—especially if you plan to stay out past dark for the illuminated cherry blossoms.
What to Bring
As far as items, for places like Omiya Park and Ueno Park, you definitely want to bring a tarp sheet or picnic blanket. You can buy the standard blue or green plastic “leisure sheet” that the Japanese use at most convenience stores, dollar stores, or grocery stores. Stores near famous viewing spots (such as Yoyogi Park and Ueno Park) will likely sell them.
Otherwise, grab a few cans of alcohol, a camera, some snacks, and a few trash bags, and you’re all set to go! (Some parks do not have trashcans, and you must bring your trash back with you.)
Timing
I would recommend you avoid going on a Friday evening or weekend. Famous spots tend to be packed with so many people you feel like sardines in a can on any given viewing weekend. This is true for both walk-through spots and picnic spots.
For picnics, people tend to have placeholders and take up the best spots early in the morning. Many student groups, club activities, and companies have cherry blossom viewing events, and the spots directly below cherry trees at famous parks tend to be packed or territorially marked with a picnic blanket by noon on weekends and holidays.
My favorite time to go is late afternoon, going into the evening when the flowers get lit up.
Conclusion
There you have it— with these 5 magnificent Tokyo cherry blossom spots, you are all set to enjoy this magical spring season. Definitely try to see the blossoms on a sunny day and before any rain storms, as the rain and wind will damage the delicate blossoms.
Whether you prefer a leisurely picnic under a canopy of blossoms or a stroll along the river, there’s something for everyone to enjoy during sakura season in Tokyo.
The symbol of spring in Japan, cherry blossoms are definitely a bucket-list item you want to check off sooner rather than later—and when is the best time but now when the yen is at an all-time low compared to the dollar and euro?
So grab your picnic blanket and a camera, and get ready to be spellbound by the fleeting beauty of Tokyo’s cherry blossoms!
Related Posts
- For flower lovers, Instagrammers, and photographers—another must-see is the Hanabiyori Flower Park just outside of Tokyo.
- And there’s more to see at Ueno Park
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