These Are the Best Months to Catch Cherry Blossoms in Japan

(SPOT.ph) If there's one thing everyone dreams of experiencing in Japan, it's cherry blossom season. It's a magical time—think slow days in parks with the gentle pink petals of the sakura floating about. If you're looking to catch the pinkest time of the year and tick the elusive hanami experience off your bucket list, you better read up.

Japan just released its 2024 forecast dates for the budding and blooming of sakura flowers.  Bring out your calendars and start planning your trips for the coming spring because cherry blossom season begins as early as March and goes all the way to late May this year.

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Here's the schedule for 2024's cherry blossom season in Japan:

Depending on where you plan to have your hanami, a.k.a. flower-watching experience, there are varying dates when you can experience the flower's full bloom. Typically, areas in the southern regions of Japan, i.e., Fukuoka, Osaka, and the rest of the Kansai region, have their cherry blossom season ahead of the northern parts, i.e., Hokkaido, Miyagi, and Aomori regions due to temperature differences with the south having a relatively warmer climate than the north.

Based on studies by the Japan Meteorological Corporation, you can expect the trees to flower in these sakura-dense areas on these dates:

• Tokyo - Flowering starts on March 23, with full bloom expected on March 30.
• Fukuoka - Flowering starts on March 21, with full bloom expected on March 30.
• Nagoya - Flowering starts on March 21, with full bloom expected on March 31.
• Osaka - Flowering starts on March 25, with full bloom expected on April 1.
• Sendai - Flowering starts on April 8, with full bloom expected on April 12.
• Sapporo - Flowering starts on May 2, with full bloom expected on May 6.

Just note that the dates mentioned above are estimates and may change depending on the weather and temperature in the coming days. The Japan Meteorological Corporation updates the forecast dates regularly, with the next release due on January 25. They even have a tracker that shows how much of the sakura trees have flowered. 

So be sure to watch for these dates when you book your spring trip to Japan.

For more information, visit Japan Meteorological Corporation's website.

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