When and where to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo in 2026

Cherry blossom season in Tokyo

From late March to early April, Tokyo transforms as cherry blossom fever grips the city. We introduce the latest 2026 forecast and the best spots to enjoy these beautiful symbols of spring.

Cherry blossom - or sakura - season in Tokyo is truly a magical experience. Thousands of trees burst into bloom, dousing the streets with stunning shades of pink. The flowers are a national obsession and people flock to parks to hold hanami parties and picnics to view and photograph them. Stores will stock their shelves with sakura-themed or flavored items, such as sakura bento lunch boxes and even serve pink sakura drinks. As if shaking off the winter, a bright and optimistic atmosphere fills the city.

2026 cherry blossom forecast

At the beginning of each year, the cherry blossom forecast is eagerly awaited. Broadcast on national television, viewers will anticipate when best to hold their hanami flower viewing parties.
The 2026 cherry blossom season in Tokyo is forecast to begin on March 21. It normally takes about one week to 10 days from flowering to full bloom.
Note: Forecast is according to data from the Japan Weather Association, January 29, 2026.

Best sakura festivals and cherry blossom viewing spots in Tokyo

Tokyo is full of well-known as well as hidden spots for viewing blossoms. However, for the full hanami experience, soak up the vibrant atmosphere of a festival. We've selected seven popular events where you can admire the flowers' ephemeral beauty and join Tokyoites in having fun and welcoming the spring.

Nakameguro Cherry Blossom Festival

The hip yet laid-back neighborhood of Nakameguro is full of trendy coffee shops and cafes. Its typically quiet canal comes to life in spring.

Rikugien Gardens

There is a word in Japanese known as "yozakura" and it is definitely something worth experiencing. Literally, "night sakura," the blossoms are lit up in night creating an otherworldly ethereal scene that is hauntingly beautiful. One of the best examples is the weeping cherry at Rikugien. The gardens were constructed in 1702 by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, a feudal lord and vassal to the shogun (military commander), who was inspired by the picturesque scenes in waka poetry. Walking past the front gate within the gardens brings into view an approximately 70-year-old impressive shidarezakura (weeping cherry blossom) tree. Even today, its branches are covered in pale pink flowers during cherry blossom season, cascading downwards like a waterfall.

Sakura Fes Nihonbashi

Nihonbashi was a former commercial center in the Edo period (1603 – 1867) and is now known for its upscale retail, as well as large financial institutions. City center it may be, it knows how to celebrate cherry blossoms and does so in all sorts of creative and innovative ways.

Bokutei Sakura-matsuri Festival

You may have noticed that cherry blossoms often line the moats of castles and canals, their reflections amplifying the spectacle. Sumida River in the east of Tokyo is no exception. During the Edo period, Yoshimune, the eighth Tokugawa shogun (military commander), ordered the planting of sakura along both banks, forming a kilometer-long sakura boulevard running from Azumabashi Bridge to Sakurabashi Bridge. This has attracted large crowds for centuries.

Sakura Festival in Chiyoda

Just north of the Imperial Palace, the Chidorigafuchi Green Way provides a peaceful path away from the bustle of the city and, in spring, it becomes a 700-meter-long cherry tree tunnel.

Ueno Sakura Matsuri

Ueno Park is one of Tokyo's most popular leisure spaces, housing a variety of museums, the charming Shinobazu Pond and even a zoo. Its avenue of cherry trees along the main path is famous across Japan, even earning recognition in a haiku by the renowned poet Matsuo Basho.

Koganei Cherry Blossom Festival

Every year during cherry blossom season, Koganei Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in late March in Koganei Park, and the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in western Tokyo host a popular, lively event featuring folk entertainment and music.