Cherry blossom Festival Japan celebrations are well-known around the world. In Japanese, it is known as a popular springtime tradition observed throughout Japan. However, don’t expect to see flowers everywhere you walk in Japan; trees bloom at different times around the country.
This blog contains everything about the hanami custom if you’re considering a vacation to Japan in the spring but first let us tell you what Cherry Blossom Festival Japan is?
What is the Cherry Blossom Festival Japan?
The famed cherry blossom festival season in Japan starts at the end of March and lasts for around two weeks, depending on where you are. The further north you travel, the longer the cherry trees bloom, thus committed sakura viewers may head north for even more sakura seeing.
Top viewing destinations include Maruyama Park, Mount Yoshino, Himeji Castle, and the Fuji Five Lakes, which are among the most atmospheric locations in the world and ideal for seeing the gorgeous blossoms. There are lots of lesser-known viewing sites where people may picnic in peace for those who want to experience a more scaled-down celebration of spring.
Hanami and its Meaning
Hanami is an old Japanese practise of travelling to see cherry blossoms (sakura) and occasionally plum blossoms (ume) flowering in parks and around the countryside and is celebrated as Cherry Blossom Festival Japan. Sakura, the most common type of Japanese cherry tree, may be found across the country. In botanical circles, these trees are known as Somei-Yoshino trees or yedoensis.
Hanami literally translates to “flower watching,” however it usually refers to cherry blossom viewing. Hanami is thought to have originated over a thousand years ago when nobility liked viewing gorgeous cherry blossoms and writing poetry inspired by them.
Cherry Blossoms: Their Symbolic Importance
Cherry blossoms have become emblematic of beauty’s impermanence due to their beauty and transitory nature (the flowers typically last little more than two weeks). Cherry blossoms are frequently depicted in Japanese works of art and even tattoos to represent the sorrowful knowledge that “nothing lasts forever,” or mono not aware. These flowers are the main attraction of the Cherry Blossom Festival Japan.
When Do The Cherry Blossom Festival Japan Take Place?
In Japan, when do cherry blossoms bloom? In Okinawa, cherry blossoms usually begin blooming in January, while in the Honshu area, cherry blossoms peak in late March to April. Cherry blossoms are normally in full bloom in May in Hokkaido. However, predicting cherry blossom dates in advance is extremely difficult, making organising a vacation in advance is challenging. Every spring, the JWA (Japan Weather Association), Weather Map Co., Ltd., and Weathernews Inc. in Japan provide cherry blossom predictions.
Where is the Festival Held?
Cherry blossom festival Japan may be found in many parts of the country. The majority of events take place between March and May, while certain regions hold festivals in January, February, or June, depending on their location. The dates of the festival are mainly dictated by cherry blossom forecasts and vary from year to year. It’s more difficult to plan your trip around a single event because of the uncertainty. However, if there’s a particular event you’d like to attend, you may look up the dates of previous festivals in the last five to ten years. Calculate the average of those dates and make your travel plans accordingly.
Cherry Blossom Festival Japan Locations
Although festivals are held all around Japan, some are larger and more well-known than others. If you’re planning a trip to Japan for the first time to experience one of these events, make sure to plan ahead of time.
Hirosaki Park
Hirosaki Park in Hirosaki (Aomori prefecture), which is home to the ancient Hirosaki Castle, offers a famous cherry blossom festival. Hirosaki Sakura-Matsuri, which takes place in northern Japan, is one of the later festivals. Aside from being held in a cultural and economic hub, the event’s already lovely setting is enhanced by the presence of historical structures.
Shinjuku Gyo-en National Garden
Shinjuku Gyo-en National Garden is a 144-acre national park in the centre of Japan’s busiest city, stretching through two wards (Shinjuku and Shibuya) in the Japanese capital, Tokyo. Shinjuku Gyo-en is made up of gardens in classic French, English, and Japanese styles, each of which covers a distinct section of the park.
Despite their prominence, the park’s cherry blossom trees make up just 1,500 of the park’s 20,000 trees. Nearly 2,000 tropical and subtropical plants are also housed in the park’s greenhouses. Hanami celebrations in Shinjuku Gyo-en are particularly noteworthy, as befitting the country’s capital and is a beautiful location to experience Cherry Blossom Festival Japan.
Ueno Park is a park in Tokyo, Japan
Ueno Park, which is also in Tokyo, is located in the Tait district of the city. Ueno Park is the most visited city park in Japan. The park is home to around 800 cherry blossom trees and a variety of bird species, as well as several museums and temples. Some of the sakura in the park are known to bloom sooner in Tokyo than in other types.
Mitsuike Park, Japan
Yokohama, Japan’s second largest city, is home to Mitsuike Park and is a great Cherry Blossom Festival Japan location. This park, which is largely made up of walking pathways and ponds, is a more basic marvel than other renowned hanami destinations. The park’s collection of sakura, on the other hand, represents roughly 80 distinct kinds of the tree, many of which bloom at various times.
The Meguro River
The Meguro River runs through Tokyo for around five kilometres. Its bank is lined with cherry blossom trees for almost half a mile, and the paper lanterns strung along the river make it a great site to admire yozakura. Additionally, the riverbank is lined with museums and restaurants, allowing individuals participating in hanami to partake in both the party and the tranquil observing aspects of the custom.
Cherry Blossom Festival Japan 2022 Forecast
The first and most important step towards seeing Cherry Blossom Festival Japan and taking part in Hanami is to listen to the forecast and plan accordingly. If you anticipate Tokyo’s sakura to blossom in February, you will undoubtedly be disappointed. In actuality, hanami in Tokyo begins around the middle of March or the end of March.
On the other hand, the sakura on Okinawa blossom in early February. From this standpoint, you must respond to the forecast. Before hanami comes at a specific day or time, prediction news is published in Japanese national newspapers, television, radio, magazines, tours, and travel websites.
Final Words
Japan is the only country that truly understands and appreciates the natural phenomena of the cherry blossom season. The hanami celebration is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that should be savoured by everyone visiting Japan in the spring, where stark modern cities sit side by side with old sites. So plan your visit right now and enjoy the enthralling beauty of the cherry blossom festival Japan.