When Do The Cherry Blossoms Bloom? - Japan Guide

When do they bloom?

The largest factor in determining the timing of the cherry blossoms is geographical location. Generally, the milder the climate, the earlier the blossoms open.

Tokyo Late Mar - Early Apr Kanazawa Early - Mid Apr Matsumoto Mid Apr Kyoto Early Apr Osaka Early Apr Yoshino Early - Mid Apr Fukuoka Late Mar - Early Apr Kumamoto Late Mar - Early Apr Hiroshima Early Apr Matsuyama Early Apr Fukushima Mid Apr Sendai Mid Apr Kakunodate Late Apr - Early May Hirosaki Late Apr - Early May Hakodate Early May Sapporo Early May

Late Mar. - Early Apr. Early Apr. Early - Mid Apr. Mid Apr. Late Apr. - Early May Early - Late May

© 2026 japan-guide.com

On Japan's southern, subtropical islands of Okinawa, cherry blossoms open as early as January, while on the northern island of Hokkaido, they bloom as late as May. In most major cities in between, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the cherry blossom season typically takes place around late March or early April.

Furthermore, the timing of the blossoms differs from year to year depending on the weather. If the weather during the weeks preceding the cherry blossom season is mild, blossoms will open early. If it is cold, blossoms will open later. From year to year, the start of the blooming season typically varies by plus/minus one week, but larger deviations are also possible.

How long do they bloom?

The cherry blossom season is relatively short. Full bloom (mankai) is usually reached within about one week after the opening of the first blossoms (kaika). Another week later, the blooming peak is over and the blossoms are falling from the trees. Strong wind and rain can cut the blooming season even shorter.

Cherry blossom forecasts

Every year, weather services and the media, including japan-guide.com, closely follow the so called "cherry blossom front" as it slowly moves northward. Note that the front generally indicates the opening of the first blossoms (kaika) rather than the arrival of full bloom (mankai).

Of course, not every tree in a city opens on the same day, as trees in shadowy places, for example, can bloom several days later than trees in sunny places. For this reason, a representative sample tree is selected to define the date of kaika (the opening of the first blossoms) for a whole city. In Tokyo, the sample tree is located at Yasukuni Shrine.

Average blooming dates

The table below lists the average dates on which cherry trees open their first blossoms and reach full bloom for selected cities. Remember that the timings can vary a lot from year to year.

City	Average Opening	Average Full Bloom
Sapporo	May 1	May 6
Hakodate	April 28	May 2
Sendai	April 8	April 13
Tokyo	March 24	March 31
Yokohama	March 25	April 1
Nagoya	March 24	April 2
Kanazawa	April 3	April 8
Kyoto	March 26	April 4
Osaka	March 27	April 4
Nara	March 28	April 4
Kobe	March 27	April 5
Hiroshima	March 25	April 3
Takamatsu	March 27	April 4
Matsuyama	March 24	April 3
Fukuoka	March 22	March 31
Kumamoto	March 22	April 1
Kagoshima	March 26	April 5

Source: Japan Meteorological Agancy - dates refer to Somei Yoshino cherry trees.