Ready for sakura season? Japan releases first forecast for 2025
Planning a trip to Japan this year? Go during spring when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom! Lucky for you, the sakura forecast is out.
Japan's blooming spectacle attracts global tourists, and it's easy to see why. Spring in the country is truly a picture-perfect time to visit where places like Moerenuma Park in Sapporo, Ueno Park, Meguro River, and Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, and Miharu Takizakura in Fukushima are painted in pink.
On Jan. 9, the Japan Meteorological Corporation released its first forecast for spring 2025, anticipating cherry blossoms to blossom as early as March 22 in Fukuoka and as late as May 1 in Sapporo.
The peak bloom period varies regionally and typically lasts between 7 and 9 days.
Check out the forecast below:
- Kochi - flowering: March 22, full bloom: March 29
- Fukuoka - flowering: March 22, full bloom: March 31
- Kagoshima - flowering: March 22, full bloom: April 2
- Hiroshima - flowering: March 24, full bloom: April 3
- Nagoya - flowering: March 24, full bloom: April 3
- Tokyo - flowering: March 24, full bloom: March 31
- Wakayama - flowering: March 26, full bloom: April 2
- Kyoto - flowering: March 27, full bloom: April 4
- Osaka- flowering: March 27, full bloom: April 3
- Kanazawa - flowering: April 2, full bloom: April 8
- Sendai - flowering: April 7, full bloom: April 13
- Nagano - flowering: April 11, full bloom: April 16
- Aomori - flowering: April 21, full bloom: April 25
- Sapporo - flowering: May 1, full bloom: May 5
Apart from Japan, there are still other countries where you can view cherry blossoms. South Korea, for instance, holds several cherry blossom festivals throughout the country, with the one in Jinghae being the biggest and most popular one. Meanwhile, Taiwan has a number of tourist attractions for cherry blossom viewing: Xiong Glamping Resort in Hsinchu, Lala Mountain Loving Farm in Taoyuan, MaKau Ecological Park in Yilan, as well as Yangmingshan National Park, and LOHAS Park in Taipei.
There are also other places outside of Japan where you can see cherry blossoms without a visa. These include Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
And if you are keen to participate in sakura celebrations and events, you can visit Washington, DC; Macon, Georgia; and Vancouver, Canada.
