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About Ueno Park - Tokyo Area -
Not only is Ueno Park one of Tokyo's most famous, serving as home to museums, temples, shrines, a zoo, and more, but it is also a prime destination in the spring for its numerous cherry trees which create tunnels of blossoms throughout the park. While many visit the park for a stroll (be ready for crowds), hanami picnics are very popular in Ueno which creates a lively atmosphere at practically all times of day during the season. Ueno Park attracts A LOT of visitors to view the cherry blossoms both on foot and picnicking. As a result, paths can get crowded, and finding a spot to picnic can prove a bit difficult. Ueno Park is illuminated at night, particularly during sakura season, so nighttime hanami is quite common. Click here for a cherry blossom walking tour that visits Ueno Park and the nearby historical neighborhood of Yanaka!
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About Shinjuku Gyoen - Tokyo Area -
Once the private residence of a feudal lord, these sprawling grounds are now a public park that makes visitors forget that they are in fact in the heart of one of Tokyo's busiest urban centers, if not for a few skyscrapers peeking over the tree line. The park features a variety of different types of cherry trees and landscapes with a network of footpaths and ample picnic space. It is important to note that Shinjuku Gyoen requires an entry fee of JPY 200 (JPY 50 for kids) and is open from 9:00 - 16:30. The park is typically closed on Mondays, but the gates are open every day during the cherry blossom season (March 25 – April 24)! For those planning to picnic, please also note that alcoholic beverages are not allowed at this park.
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About Sumida River Park - Tokyo Area -
Sumida River winds its way through Eastern Tokyo on its way to the bay. Besides popular sightseeing destinations like Asakusa and TOKYO SKYTREE®, the banks of the Sumida are also home to its fair share of cherry trees, specifically in the riverside Sumida Park. Many visit the riverbanks and park for strolls or picnics, but the river itself offers an entirely different way to enjoy the sakura of Sumida River: from the lilting comfort of a pleasure cruise. The cherry blossoms are lit up at night, with many visitors enjoying the evening ambiance, and snapping a picture with blossoms and the recently competed TOKYO SKYTREE is a particularly popular way to commemorate the occasion. Click here for an evening cherry blossom cruise tour on the Sumida!
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About Lake Kawaguchi - Mt.fuji Area -
Of the 5 lakes surrounding Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko is probably the most accessible. If you strike it lucky with the weather, you may be rewarded with a perfect reflection in the lake of the great mountain. Take a stroll around the lake and admire the 300 or so cherry trees encircling it. While the eastern side of the lake has hot spring resorts and other attractions, other sides of the lake are fairly quiet. Not being too far from Tokyo makes this a convenient place to escape from the hubbub of Tokyo. Handy JAPANiCAN hint: If you've been seeing two lakes, one called Kawaguchiko and one called Kawaguchi, and are wondering what the difference is, don't worry – it's the same lake. The ko part at the end means "lake" in Japanese and some people choose to leave it off in English.
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About Osaka Castle Park - Kyoto Area -
Osaka Castle has a long and tumultuous history; A powerful seat in the center of Japan, hotly-contested for by the mighty Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hideyoshi Toyotomi in the summer war. Understandably the castle park is popular today too, with around 600 someiyoshino cherry trees in Nishinomaru Park and roughly 1,270 plum trees (ume) found within the grounds. During the cherry blossom season visitors jostle merrily for a flower-full seat, with swarms of visitors coming to admire the spring blossoms and battle it out for the last can of beer or piece of fried chicken. The Osaka natives are famed in Japan for their boisterous humor, so don't be surprised if you get roped into some amusing group conversations. Drop by on a hanami party to see the residents laughing and joking, completely in their element!
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About Arashiyama - Kyoto Area -
For those not familiar with the Arashiyama area, it is home to some of the most iconic sights of Kyoto: bamboo groves, temples and a river with boats floating peacefully along it; Arashiyama has a lot to offer. During the cherry blossom season this area is not to be missed, and crowds of tourists flock here from all parts of Japan, as well as from all over the world. Delight in wonderful scenes of cherry blossoms in the warm spring sunlight. Take a stroll over Togetsukyo Bridge, which spans the river flowing through the area and admire the lines of cherry trees along the banks of the river. For those in the mood for it, Iwatayama Monkey Park can be found at the top of Mount Arashiyama, offering a wonderful view of the city…which can be enjoyed in the company of the monkeys.
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About Fuji View Hotel Garden - Mt.fuji Area -
A hotel garden covering some 30km squared with 30 weeping cherry trees and around 330 cherry trees of different varieties. Take a stroll around the garden, admire the blossoms and enjoy a picnic in the shade of the otherworldly canopy roof of pinkish blossoms. Weather permitting; visitors may also be able to enjoy a magnificent view of Mount Fuji as well. A sakura matsuri (cherry blossom festival) is held sometime in April and for about 1 week around that time the blossoms are lit up in the evening until about 21:00.
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About Inokashira Park - Tokyo Area -
Located on the far west end of central Tokyo, the somewhat bohemian, counterculture-centric neighborhood of Kichijoji offers the spacious, peaceful confines of Inokashira Park. The park’s sakura are primarily concentrated around the scenic pond which constitutes the center of much of the park’s eastern side and feeds Kanda River. In addition to the cherry blossoms, visitors here can enjoy row and paddle boats on the pond, Inokashira Park Zoo, the surrounding town of Kichijoji itself, and perhaps even the Ghibli Museum which lies on the Mitaka side of the park opposite Kichijoji Station. Click here for the Ghibli Museum tour!
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About Himeji Castle - Kyoto Area -
Often considered to be one of the top 3 castles in Japan, Himeji Castle has remained intact for over 400 years - which is quite rare for castles in a country which has suffered in the past from so many natural and manmade disasters. The castle is currently under construction, which is estimated to finish sometime in 2015, but for all the sakura-lovers out there, the castle grounds boast some 1,000 cherry trees and is an extremely popular spot for blossom-viewing parties. For those interested in the progress of the construction works on the castle, there is an observation platform called the Egret's Eye View from which the work on the castle can be viewed. At busy times it might be slightly crowded and the queues might get fairly long, however, visitors can book or look up more information on the official bilingual website here.
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About Aoyama Cemetery - Tokyo Area -
While it may seem a touch macabre at first, Aoyama Cemetery is actually one of Tokyo's top hanami spots. Aoyama was Japan's first public cemetery and is the largest within the central 23 wards of Tokyo. This large public plot features a number of paths lined with gorgeous cherry trees. Considering the decidedly subdued nature of the setting, cherry blossom watchers at Aoyama Cemetery can look forward to a quiet atmosphere perfect for peaceful walks beneath the canopy of flowers. Further, appreciating the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms in a cemetery could prove to be a poignant reminder of the transient nature of life for the more poetically inclined among us. Fans of Shibuya may be interested to know that the famous dog Hachiko, whose statue stands outside Shibuya Station and serves as a de facto meeting place, is buried in Aoyama Cemetery.
