Japan is very known for its famous cherry blossom season that begins in April and lasts for around two weeks. People recommend Maruyama Park, Mount Yishino, Himeji Castle and Fuji Five Lakes to see the blush-tinted blooms of the sakura (cherry trees). It usually blooms into crazy beautiful colours between mid-March and early May.
The earliest sakura appears in January in tropical Okinawa and the last on the northernmost island of Hokkaido around early May. There are actually multiple tree varieties, each blooming at a slightly different time. At the start of February, there are the Kawuzu blooms that last until early March. You can observe them mostly along the Kawzu River on the Izu Peninsula, southwest of Tokyo. Lake-blooming Omuro cherries appear early to mid-April. To observe the peak pink in the main tourist hot spots like Tokyo, you have to visit between the end of March and early April, when the ubiquitous Yoshino flowers arrive. They last about a week before falling. There is actually a website you can consult to track all of it: sakura.weathermap.jp/en.
Cherry blossoms in Autumn in Japan
Few people know about the cherry blossoms bloom in autumn in Japan. There are two species of cherry blossoms you can enjoy viewing in autumn: Shikizakura and Fuyuzakura.
Shikizakura, the Four-season sakura
There is actually usually in Obara, in Toyota City, the Obara Shikizakusa Festival where you can enjoy viewing the cherry blossoms. Instead of the typical pink, they burst of red and yellow autumnal foliage. The Shikizakusa is a rare species of cherry tree and blooms from Mid-October to early-December, creating a natural tapestry of explosive colour. There are more than 10,000 shikizakura planted throughout the town and can be appreciated during hikes around the area.
Fuyuzakura, Winter cherry blossoms
If you are a bigger fan of pink cherry blossoms, There is also the Winter Cherry Blossoms with the Fuyuzakura. It is also famous for cherry blossoms blooming between Autumn and Winter. You can observe them at Jomine Park (城峯公園). It is located in Saitama Prefecture, just North of Tokyo, like their slogan says! The park itself is in the middle of the mountain where you can see a magnificent view of Shimokubo Dam. There is also usually a festival but this year in 2020, things are quite special so you must keep looking up online if you can first of all travel to Japan and then if any festivities will take place or not.
