Hanami: cherry blossoms and spring festivals in Japan

What hanami is

Hanami means “looking at flowers”, and in Japan the flowers are cherry blossoms. When the trees bloom, friends, families and office teams spread mats beneath them and spend an afternoon or evening eating, drinking and talking. Parks, riversides and castle grounds fill with people, and many places light the trees after dark for yozakura, night blossoms.

People in Japan have gathered under blossoming trees for centuries, and Edo-period prints show crowds picnicking under the cherries just as they do today.

When the blossoms open

The blossoms move from south to north. The Japan Meteorological Agency watches one sample tree in each city; in Tokyo it is a tree at Yasukuni Shrine. It announces opening when five or six flowers are open on that tree, and full bloom when about 80 percent are open. Full bloom usually comes about a week after opening, and the petals start to fall soon after.

These are the average dates for 1991–2020. Any year can be a week earlier or later.

In Okinawa the dates are for hikan-zakura, a deep-pink cherry that blooms in winter. Everywhere else they are for Somei-yoshino, the pale-pink tree planted in parks across Japan.

Plan around the forecast

• Forecasts start in late winter. Weather companies such as the Japan Meteorological Corporation and Weathernews publish cherry blossom forecasts from about February and update them often.
• Keep your dates flexible. If you can, plan a route that moves north with the blossoms: Kyushu and Tokyo in late March, Kyoto and Osaka in early April, Tohoku in mid to late April, Hokkaido in early May.
• Plum blossoms come first. In February and early March, plum trees bloom at shrines such as Kitano Tenmangū in Kyoto, where the Baikasai is held under the blossoms.
• Book early. Late March and early April are among the busiest weeks of the year for hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto.

How to join a hanami picnic

1. Pick a park that allows picnics. Rules differ. At Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo, for example, alcohol, smoking, ball games and holding one spot for a long time are not allowed. Check the park’s rules before you go.
2. Bring a mat. Many people use plastic picnic sheets. On busy weekends, groups send someone early in the morning to hold a spot. Take only as much space as your group needs.
3. Buy food on the way. Convenience stores and department-store food halls sell bento boxes, snacks and drinks, and many parks have food stalls in blossom season.
4. Leave the trees alone. Do not shake branches, pick blossoms or climb the trees. The roots are easily damaged, so keep off fenced areas.
5. Take your rubbish home or use the bins provided. Bins overflow fast in blossom season.

Seasonal sweets

Look for sakura-mochi, pink rice cakes wrapped in a salted cherry leaf, and hanami dango, skewers of three rice dumplings in pink, white and green. Both are sold everywhere in spring.

Night blossoms

Many parks and castles light their trees after dark. Lantern-lit blossoms are quieter than daytime picnics, and evenings in early April are still cold, so bring a warm layer.

Festivals in blossom season

Some of Japan’s best spring festivals fall in cherry blossom season. Pair a festival with a hanami picnic, but remember that both draw big crowds.

• Inuyama Festival, early April: karakuri puppet floats parade below Inuyama Castle and glow with lanterns under the blossoms at night.
• Kanamara Matsuri, first Sunday of April, Kawasaki, near Tokyo.
• Takayama Spring Festival, April 14–15, in the old town of Takayama in the mountains of Gifu.
• Furukawa Festival, April 19–20, a short train ride from Takayama.
• Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival, April to early May (in 2026, April 10 to May 5): thousands of cherry trees bloom around Hirosaki Castle in Aomori, the same park that holds the Snow Lantern Festival in winter.

Earlier in spring, the Katsuura Big Hina Matsuri fills a seaside town with dolls before Girls’ Day on March 3, and the Hōnen Matsuri is held at Tagata Shrine near Nagoya on March 15.

See our month guides for March and April for every festival in the season.