Tokyo 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. Japan's cherry blossoms are world-famous, and springtime in Tokyo is a particular must-see, as pale pink fills the city's parks, riverbanks and shopping streets. As temperatures rise, the whole city becomes brighter and livelier. Cherry 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.

Tips

Book and organize your accommodation way in advance: spring is the most popular time of year to visit Japan
The price of travel and accommodation can skyrocket during the Golden Week holiday period in late April/early May
Many big-name Tokyo events such as May sumo tournament take place in spring
While the weather is generally mild, be prepared for the occasional rainy or hot day

Cherry Blossoms Paint Tokyo 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, from late March to early April, has elicited its own special pastime, hanami or flower-viewing. Many parks and gardens light up their cherry trees at night, letting you enjoy yozakura, or illuminated cherry blossoms. Stroll under canopies of flowers at Chidori-ga-fuchi Moat, or join in the hanami at Yoyogi Park or Inokashira Park to forge your own celebration of sakura and their ephemerality.
For more information, check out our guide to "When and where to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo in 2026."

Chidori-ga-fuchi Moat, a famous sakura-viewing spot in Tokyo

Illuminated cherry blossoms along the Meguro River

Best Times and Places to Enjoy Spring Flowers

Even after the sakura have begun to fall in April, you can still enjoy Tokyo's colorful springtime. 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

Spring Delicacies: Tokyo's Must-Try Japanese Foods

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

Spring Festivals in Tokyo

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. The three-day Sanja Matsuri in Asakusa draws approximately 1.8 million visitors, and is Asakusa's liveliest festival of the year.

Yabusame (horseback archery)