My World Trip Japan

Kansai is one of the most beautiful regions in Japan for cherry blossom viewing. From historic temples in Kyoto to iconic castles in Osaka and Nara, the region offers diverse hanami experiences from late March to mid-April. Here are 15 of the best cherry blossom spots in Kansai. Those marked with * are in the list of top 100 best spots (桜名所１００選) picked by Japanese Cherry Blossom Society. 1. Heian Shrine (平安神宮), Kyoto prefecture (京都県) Heian Shrine is particularly famous for its elegant weeping cherry blossoms in the Shin’en Garden（ 神苑 ）. The large torii gate at the entrance and the vermilion shrine buildings contrast beautifully with the pink blooms. The garden area requires an admission fee but is worth visiting for its reflective pond views and carefully landscaped sakura scenery. If you want classic Kyoto photos during sakura season, consider renting a kimono near Gion before visiting Heian Shrine. Full bloom:  Late March ~ Early April Access:  10-minute walk from Higa...

Updated February 2026: This post has been refreshed with the latest travel tips and information. 2025 was the 10th year I was in Japan for cherry blossoms. This time, I did a road trip around the Greater Tokyo area. Although I had visited several spots in Tokyo for cherry blossom viewing (hanami) previously, I have yet to check out most of the places in the prefectures surrounding Tokyo. 2025 appeared to be a challenging year for hanami at first, as the earlier blooming Kawazu-zakura（河津桜）variety was two weeks late, and it was snowing in most parts of Japan on 19 March. Fortunately, the temperature shot up to 20+ degrees Celsius on 22 March, hence the bloom timing ended up generally in line with usual years.  Below are the places in the Kanto region I visited this trip, in no particular order. My favorites would be 7 & 10. (Places around Mount Fuji will be covered in another post.) 1. Shimizu Park（清水公園）, Chiba prefecture（千葉県） One of the three "Japan's top 100 c...

Updated February 2026: This post has been refreshed with the latest travel tips and information. In Spring 2025, I did a road trip for cherry blossom viewing (hanami) in the Greater Tokyo area.  Below are the places I visited in the Mount Fuji area. (For places in the Kanto region, refer to the previous post link ) The views here are more impressive, thanks to Mount Fuji and the good weather! 1. Yamataka Jindai Sakura（山高神代桜）, Yamanashi prefecture（山梨県） One of the "Three Great Sakura Trees of Japan", the Yamataka Jindai Sakura (Edohigan variety) is said to be 2000 years old. It is in the grounds of Jissoji temple（実相寺）, which requires a small entrance fee, but the view of the tree from outside the temple is nicer. 2. Oboshi Park（大法師公園）, Yamanashi prefecture The only place in Yamanashi prefecture chosen as "Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots", Oboshi Park on a hill top has 2000 Sakura trees, mostly Somei Yoshino variety（染井吉野）, and it is possible to se...