Start planning your sakura trips and hanami parties for the top cherry blossom destinations in Japan with the Japan cherry blossom forecast for 2024. It is time to start looking ahead to the warmer weather of spring which can mean only one thing – cherry blossoms.
Below average temperatures for most of March have slowed down the opening of the cherry blossoms in many areas across Japan. This year’s cherry blossom (sakura) forecast for Japan is expected to open on average or slightly later than usual by a few days. The higher-than-average temperatures in Japan for late March and early April have helped speed up the progress of the cherry blossoms with many major cities expecting peak bloom in the first few days of April.
The cherry blossom season typically starts in January in Okinawa and sweeps up the mainland to Hokkaido in May. The cherry blossoms in Japan usually last about 2 weeks from the start of their bloom to full bloom. The peak season for cherry blossoms in popular sightseeing destinations such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka is usually from late March to early April.
The cherry blossoms have already reached full bloom in Tokyo and Kyoto. Full bloom was declared in Tokyo on April 4th and Kyoto on April 5th.
The cherry blossom front is moving towards the higher elevation area in central Japan as well as northwards to the Tohoku Region.
On April 4, 2024, JMC released its 11th Japan cherry blossom forecast for the current season.
This forecast is based on the Somei Yoshino cherry blossom tree, which is considered to be the most popular variety of Sakura in Japan.
We have created a table below for the major cherry blossom destinations in Japan with the estimate start date and peak bloom of the cherry blossoms. This forecast is subject to change and is only a prediction based on long term forecasts for February and March. Please refer back to this page for regular updates and reports. Information from the Japan Meteorological Corporation.
John Asano is a blogger, travel writer and travel advisor living in Gifu, Japan. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, he has lived in Japan now for over 15 years. John loves nothing better than picking up his camera and exploring all the amazing sights and attractions that Japan has to offer. He writes about the must see sights and attractions in Japan at Japan Travel Advice, as well as about Japanese culture and modern life on his blog Japan Australia. You can read more of his work at http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/
