Start planning your sakura trips and hanami parties for the top cherry blossom destinations in Japan with the Japan cherry blossom forecast for 2023. It is time to start looking ahead to the warmer weather of spring which can mean only one thing – cherry blossoms.
This year’s cherry blossom (sakura) forecast for Japan is expected to open much earlier than previous years. According to the JMC (Japan Meteorological Corporation) the higher-than-average temperatures in Japan in late February and early March have pushed forward the opening of the cherry blossoms to much earlier than usual.
The cherry blossom season typically starts in January in Okinawa and sweeps up the mainland to Hokkaido in May. The peak season for cherry blossoms in popular sightseeing destinations such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka is usually from late March to early April.
This year the cherry blossom petals are already falling in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with the cherry blossom front moving to the northeastern region of Japan. The best places to visit for those still keen on cherry blossom viewing are higher elevation places such as Hida Takayama in Gifu and Kawaguchiko in the Fuji Five Lake area, or cherry blossom spots in the Tohoku Region such as Yamagata, Morioka, and Akita.
The cherry blossoms are predicted to open in Hida Takayama on April 3rd, Hirosaki on April 13th and Sapporo on April 21st.
Hida Takayama is expecting full bloom (peak viewing) around April 9th with Hirosaki around April 17th and Sapporo around April 24th.
On March 30, 2023, JMC released their 10th cherry blossom forecast for the current season.
The best time for viewing the cherry blossoms varies between a few days to a week from the first bloom, so don’t leave it too late to see the beautiful blossoms.
The Japan cherry blossom 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 predication 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
Updated 5th April 2023
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/
