Spring Guide

A season of pleasant weather, spring is one of the best times to visit Tokyo

Flowers cover Tokyo's landscape in spring, making it one of the prettiest times to visit the city. As cherry blossoms fill parks and shopping streets with pink, temperatures get warmer and moods begin to rise. The blossoms are an obvious draw, but spring in Tokyo features many other flowers as well. The seasonal festivals, foodstuffs and events are equally compelling reasons to start planning your Tokyo trip.

In the pink

Come spring and Tokyo is swathed in shades of pink due to the short-lived arrival of sakura, or cherry blossoms. The fleeting window of when they bloom has elicited its own special pastime, hanami or flower-viewing. Stroll under canopies of flowers at Chidori-ga-fuchi Moat, or join in a party at Yoyogi Park or Inokashira Park to forge your own celebration of sakura and their ephemerality.

Petal Power

Japan's cherry blossoms may take center stage and command their own drinking parties, but no less marvelous are the other blooms that follow in their wake. Colorful tulips fill Showa Kinen Park from late March through April. A rich tapestry of azaleas blankets Nezu-jinja Shrine in mid- to late-April, and the cool shades of wisteria flowers paint Kameido Tenjin Shrine from mid-April to early May. In June, you can find irises at Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens and graceful hydrangeas at Sumida Park. Spring in Tokyo is a floral delight.

Tulips in Showa Kinen Park

Azaleas at Nezu-jinja Shrine

Seasonal delicacies

Japanese food places a strong emphasis on seasonality; shun is the celebration of food at its peak. With spring a time of new growth, expect restaurant menus to feature tender bamboo shoots, foraged mountain vegetables, spring cabbage, and briny clams and glistening garfish from the sea. Other spring foodstuffs are strictly celebratory—think sakura-flavored lattes or Kit Kat chocolate bars—as transient as the flowers that inspire them. If you'd like to appreciate rows of cherry trees from a seat in a cafe or restaurant, try Sumida River or the riverside in Nakameguro. Should you prefer a takeout meal under the blossoming boughs in a park, many eateries, including department stores that sell food, offer boxed lunches featuring fresh spring ingredients.

Simmered bamboo shoots

Mountain vegetable tempura

Feeling festive

The Tokyo event calendar gets quite busy in April and May. For a one-of-a-kind experience head to Asakusa in April for a display of yabusame or horseback archery; the sight of traditionally costumed archers set against the modern city backdrop is something to behold. In May, several traditional festivals are held in Tokyo. You can attend the Sanja Matsuri in Asakusa or the Kanda Matsuri at Kanda Myojin Shrine. Both are riotous, joyful events where mikoshi (portable shrines) are carried through the streets, drawing crowds in the thousands.

Yabusame (horseback archery)

Sanja Matsuri