When is cherry blossom season in Japan?
Cherry blossom season in Japan runs from January to May, moving north. It starts in Okinawa (Naha: first bloom around January 16) and ends in Hokkaido (Sapporo: around May 1). In Tokyo, full bloom is typically around March 31, and in Kyoto around April 4.
Based on the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 normals and the last 30 years of records. This is history, not a forecast — dates move by a week or more from year to year.
Main cities at a glance
| City | Typical first bloom | Typical full bloom | Best week (odds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Mar 26 – Apr 1 (83%) |
| Kyoto | Mar 26 | Apr 4 | Apr 2 – Apr 8 (87%) |
| Osaka | Mar 27 | Apr 4 | Apr 2 – Apr 8 (87%) |
| Nagoya | Mar 24 | Apr 2 | Mar 26 – Apr 1 (90%) |
| Hiroshima | Mar 25 | Apr 3 | Mar 26 – Apr 1 (90%) |
| Fukuoka | Mar 22 | Mar 31 | Mar 26 – Apr 1 (100%) |
| Kanazawa | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 2 – Apr 8 (83%) |
| Sendai | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 9 – Apr 15 (63%) |
| Sapporo | May 1 | May 6 | Apr 30 – May 6 (57%) |
| Naha * | Jan 16 | Feb 4 | Jan 22 – Jan 28 (93%) |
* A different cherry variety than Somei-yoshino. Best week = the week in which blossoms were out for at least 4 days in the most years (last 30 years). Viewing window = first bloom to about 7 days after full bloom.
- Jan–Feb
- Mar 1–20
- Mar 21–31
- Apr 1–10
- Apr 11–20
- Apr 21–30
- May
Typical first bloom (1991–2020 normals). Darker = later. Tap a dot to open the city.
Week by week: where the blossoms are usually out
Cities where cherry blossoms were out for at least 4 days of that week in 60% or more of the last 30 years. Higher numbers mean safer bets.
Jan 15 – Jan 21
Naha 77%, Miyako Island 60%
Jan 22 – Jan 28
Naha 93%, Naze (Amami Oshima) 83%, Miyako Island 73%, Ishigaki Island 63%, Minami-Daito Island 60%
Jan 29 – Feb 4
Naze (Amami Oshima) 97%, Miyako Island 87%, Naha 83%, Ishigaki Island 80%, Minami-Daito Island 63%
Feb 5 – Feb 11
Ishigaki Island 83%, Miyako Island 77%, Naha 67%, Naze (Amami Oshima) 60%, Minami-Daito Island 60%
Feb 12 – Feb 18
Ishigaki Island 63%
Mar 19 – Mar 25
Mar 26 – Apr 1
Fukuoka 100%, Miyazaki 97%, Kumamoto 93%, Nagasaki 93%, Kochi 90%, Nagoya 90%, Shizuoka 90%, Wakayama 90%, Saga 90%, Oita 90%, Matsuyama 90%, Gifu 90%, Hiroshima 90%, Shimonoseki 87%, Tokyo 83%, Kofu 83%, Yokohama 83%, Kyoto 83%, Kumagaya 80%, Osaka 80%, Takamatsu 80%, Okayama 80%, Kobe 77%, Nara 77%, Tokushima 77%, Tsu 77%, Matsue 77%, Kagoshima 73%, Maebashi 70%, Tottori 70%, Utsunomiya 63%
Apr 2 – Apr 8
Kobe 100%, Kagoshima 97%, Takamatsu 93%, Okayama 93%, Tokushima 93%, Oita 90%, Shimonoseki 90%, Nara 90%, Tottori 90%, Hiroshima 87%, Kyoto 87%, Osaka 87%, Tsu 87%, Matsue 87%, Choshi 87%, Hikone 87%, Nagasaki 83%, Miyazaki 83%, Nagoya 83%, Wakayama 83%, Kumagaya 83%, Utsunomiya 83%, Kanazawa 83%, Saga 80%, Matsuyama 80%, Gifu 80%, Mito 80%, Fukui 80%, Kofu 77%, Yokohama 77%, Maebashi 77%, Toyama 77%, Kumamoto 70%, Shizuoka 70%, Fukuoka 60%, Tokyo 60%
Apr 9 – Apr 15
Hikone 73%, Kanazawa 73%, Niigata 73%, Fukushima 70%, Toyama 67%, Nagano 67%, Sendai 63%, Kagoshima 60%
Apr 16 – Apr 22
Apr 23 – Apr 29
Apr 30 – May 6
May 7 – May 13
Muroran 63%
How to plan around it
- Pick a region, not a date. If your dates are fixed, go where the odds are highest that week. The list above shows which cities usually have blossoms out.
- Late March to early April is the safest window for Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Early or late trips can still catch blossoms further south or north.
- Official forecasts for the coming spring are published from January by the Japan Meteorological Corporation and Weathernews. This site does not forecast; it shows what happened in past years.
- Use the trip planner to check your exact dates against 30 years of records.
All 58 cities
See cherry blossom dates for every city, from earliest to latest.
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (processed by Japan Bloom Calendar). About the data