Kanto Spring Travel Guide

10 Best Places to see Cherry Blossom in Tokyo

Where to see cherry blossom (sakura) in Tokyo? If you are looking for the prettiest sakura viewing spots in Tokyo, today I want to share 10 of my favorites with you. Most of these hanami spots are located across the city in different public parks and gardens.

There is a beautiful atmosphere that you are not able to see in the summer, autumn or winter, but in the spring for sure. It is not that much hard to find out some beautiful sakura viewing spots even when you are a new comer to this magical city.

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Splendid cherry blossom in Showa Kinen Park, Tachikawa. Photo Credit: ginomempin at Flickr.

I went to Tokyo a number of times to see its popular touristic attractions. I could imagine the real spring beauty of it just by walking down the streets. Thousands of sakura trees, crowds and the food vendors make a great festive atmosphere which can’t be forgotten within a very short period of time.

To be honest with you, it is possible to find out more than 15 hanami spots in this city. They all could be considered the best, but I will show you only ten places that are truly awe-inspiring.

This page includes brief explanation of each spots as well as beautiful cherry blossom photographs. By reading this post, you can realize whether these 10 places are worth visiting or not. Let’s get ready to explore them all.

Check out the sakura forecast in Tokyo this year.

1) Shinjuku Gyoen:

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Hanami Under Cherry Trees in Shinjuku Gyoen Garden. Photo credit: Marufish at Flickr through Creative Commons licensing.

Shinjuku Gyoen is the best sakura viewing spot in Tokyo. Located in Shinjuku and Shibuya wards with three entrance gates, this massive park comprises a traditional Japanese landscape garden, French garden, English garden, Greenhouse, walking trails, lawns, and different kinds of plants.

It is a large and one of the most popular parks in the city that is home to more than 1500 cherry trees. Wow…that’s a huge number of sakura trees in one place! Is not it interesting? Nobody is going to make you feel bored when you are in this public garden during hanami.

As it is a spacious park, it offers much room to roam around and to view beautiful cherry blossoms from different viewpoints. Please note that Shinjuku Gyoen is a very crowded hanami spot, where visitors gather to enjoy picnic party together underneath the sakura trees.

Sometimes I avoid crowds and try finding a way to go elsewhere to enjoy spring nature. Doing so I don’t feel like an idiot because experiencing nature in a less crowded place is much better and it suits me well.

Address: 11 Naitocho, Shinjuku, Tokyo Prefecture 160-0014, Japan.

2) Inokashira Park:

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Row Boats & Sakura in Inokashira Park. Photo credit: Kimon Berlin at Flickr through Creative Commons licensing.

Located near Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Inokashira Park is one of my favorite places to see sakura in western Tokyo. In the fall, the park also features amazing autumn colors to overwhelm every visitors.

Would you like to have a great hanami party underneath beautiful sakura blossoms? If you would like, I suggest you to go to Inokashira Park. This is said to be one of the famous Edo period parks in Tokyo. There is a pond, so renting a paddle or row boat is absolutely easy and it’s pretty exciting to have fun with.

Take a look at the photo above, does not it seem a quite peaceful place to spend your spring holiday? Just take one row boat and have fun with it while watching impressive cherry blossoms from the water.

Here visitors can take a walk along the paths surrounded by many trees, and cultivate some good memories. Besides, you will see several fountains in the park. I highly recommend this place to couples, who wish to have a great romantic hanami vacation in Tokyo.

Address: 1-18-31 Gotenyama, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, Japan.

3) Meguro River, Naka Meguro: 

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Meguro River Sakura. Photo credit: mrhayata at Flickr through Creative Commons licensing.

Meguro River is one of the top hanami spots in Tokyo, which is very famous for viewing Yozakura (night sakura). It is located in Meguro district. The famous Nakameguro Sakura Festival is held here every year in early-April.

There are approximately 800 cherry trees line Meguro River’s concrete canal. Usually, when the festival is underway many photographers walk along the canal to find a perfect shooting spot.

In my opinion, every year, my hanami expedition is not complete until I pay a homage visit to this stunning cherry blossom viewing spot. You know what – there are an endless reasons to travel to Tokyo, and certainly visiting this wonderful site to see Meguro river sakura could be one of the them. A lot of people admire its beauty and think it as a hidden discovery in bustling Tokyo.

Address: Meguro River, Naka Meguro, Tokyo City, Japan.

4) Koishikawa Botanical Garden:

Cherry Blossom at Koishikawa Botanical Garden, Tokyo. Photo Credit: veroyama at Flickr.

This beautiful botanical garden is a property of the Tokyo University and open to the public year round.

It is a relaxing and peaceful garden, where everyone can enjoy Japan’s splendid spring nature. You need to pay admission fee to enter in this garden. It is worth visiting! You are not going to waste your money here, rather you will be enjoying your whole time staring at the white cherry blossoms.

There are different types of cherry trees you will see including a beautiful traditional Japanese landscape garden to walk around. This mind-boggling park with hundreds of sakura trees is one of the most inspiring places you will visit during hanami!

Address: 3-7-1 Hakusan, Bunkyo, Tokyo 112-0001, Japan.

5) Chidorigafuchi:

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Beautiful Chidorigafuchi on Hanami Season! Photo credit: Marufish at Flickr through Creative Commons licensing.

Located in the northwest of the Imperial Palace, Chidorigafuchi is a place of scenic beauty in spring!

Before describing a little bit about this classic sakura spot, I better request you to look at the photo above, at least once please. Have you looked at it? So, now tell me what do you feel now. I guess you are imagining about visiting it in spring to see those beautiful sakura display.

Chidorigafuchi, itself a garden, which is surrounded by a moat. It is a highly recommended cherry blossom viewing spot, offering you to experience thousands of cherry trees. Just like Inokashira Park, here you have a great opportunity to see breathtaking sakura while rowing a boat with your lover or best friend of yours.

Address: Kudanminami, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Tel: 03-3556-0391 (Chiyoda City Tourism Association)

6) Koishikawa Korakuen:

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Beautiful sakura at Koishikawa Korakuen, Tokyo. Photo Credit: Rosa G. at Flickr.

Koishikawa Korakuen is one of the Tokyo’s oldest Japanese garden that was developed in the Edo period. Except viewing sakura in the garden, you will be exploring Japanese style bridge, rock gardens, small lake and flower gardens.

It is amazing to take a walk along the garden trails. In order to view weeping cherry trees in abundance in Tokyo, you must visit this fabulous spot. Weeping cherry blossoms look amazingly beautiful from a bit far distance.

A single weeping cherry tree looks like a shade of umbrella filled with gorgeous blossoms. Keep it in mind that, to view sakura, you have got to come here in early April. That’s the best time to see cherry blossoms.

Please note this picturesque garden is popular place to see autumn leaves in Tokyo. The scenery it features in autumn amazes me a lot.

Address: Koishikawa Korakuen garden Office. 1-6-6 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo (Zip: 112-0004), Japan.
Tel: 3811-3015.

7) Sumida Park:

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Sumida Park Sakura. Photo credit: Christian Kadluba at Flickr through Creative Commons licensing.

Indeed, Sumida Park’s cherry trees look awesome when they are in full bloom. It’s said that the park is home to more than 500 cherry trees and considered one of the most popular cherry blossom festivals in Tokyo.

They were planted on the both side along the Sumida River. It is a crowded sakura spot but if you could realize why it is like that, then surly you would want to visit this spot in the first place than the other sakura viewing spots I have already mentioned here in this post.

It is possible to have a boat journey and view cherry blossom at the same time. How cool is that! It will not be a bad idea walking and listening to cool music. Once I spent 4 hours at a stretch roaming around the park area.

It was a peaceful moment what I expected before heading towards this lovely park. You can spend as many as hours you want, but make sure you fully enjoy your time there.

Address: 1, 2, and 5 Mukojima, 7-11-1 and 2-1 Hanakawa-do Asakusa
Sumida-ku, Sumida Park, Tokyo, Japan.

8) Ueno Park:

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Ueno Park Sakura and Crowds. Photo Credit: Usodesita at Flickr.

Ueno is a large public park, located next to Ueno Station, which hosts one of Tokyo’s best biggest cherry blossom festivals.

This gigantic park is a year-round tourist spot because it has a number of famous museums in Tokyo, such as the Tokyo National Museum, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the National Museum for Western Art, and the National Science Museum, including a zoo called Ueno Zoo.

During the hanami season this place is filled with many sakura fanatics including locals and tourists alike. We all wish not to miss its spring atmosphere, it is just an incredible place to go and enjoy everything it offers.

One of the interesting facts about this vast public park is that thousands of cherry trees found on its grounds start blooming at the same time. Many people see this place as a famous cherry blossom spot not only in Tokyo, but also a top recommended hanami spot of all time in Japan.

In addition, you can visit the Tokyo National Museum, Ueno Zoo, Kaneiji Temple, Toshogu Shrine and other sightseeing spots. Ueno Park is said to be an ideal hanami picnic spot, so don’t miss it when you visit other sakura spots across Tokyo.

The best time to see sakura here is from late March to early April.

Address: Uenokoen, Taito, Tokyo Prefecture 110-0007, Japan.
Tel:
+81 3-3828-5644.

9) Asukayama Park:

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Hanami in Asukayama Park, Tokyo. Photo Credit: Wunkai at Flickr.

Every time I went to this place I was really impressed with its stunning cherry blossoms and the atmosphere it creates in spring. I believe, if you are a real sakura enthusiast, why not to have a great picnic party here?

This oldest wooded hilltop park has hundreds of cherry trees including the Asukayama Museum, the Paper Museum, and the Shibusawa Memorial Museum.

Picnicking here is quite a popular outdoor activity that locals don’t forget to do every spring. In my opinion, you should bring a bento lunch box and sake to drink. These would simply make your entire hanami trip to this park awesome. You will be highly impressed seeing the picturesque spring scenery of Asukayama Park.

Address: 1-1 Oji, Kita, Tokyo 114-0002, Japan.
Tel: +81 3-3908-9275

10) Showa Kinen Koen (Showa Memorial Park):

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Spring in Showa Memorial Park is Breathtaking! Photo Credit: Wunkai at Flickr.

Showa Memorial Park is a huge park in Tachikawa that sparkles year-round especially in the spring. In general, its grounds are covered with variety seasonal flowers both in spring and summer. When autumn rolls around here, you experience a breathtaking fall foliage display.

Want to see how it looks like in the spring? Then visit this article to see some awesome spring flower photographs. Early and mid April is the perfect time to enjoy sakura viewing at Showa Kinen Koen.

As it is a large park, located in the western suburbs of Tokyo, you should rent a bicycle and then start discovering magnificent sakura. It is up to you whether you would like to view 1500 cherry trees riding on bicycle or on foot. The real fact is that in order to save your valuable time, I suggest you to rent a bicycle there. Have fun with it guys!

Address: Showa Kinen Park Office
3173 Midori-cho Tachikawa City Tokyo 190-8558, Japan.
Tel:042-524-1516

Finally, I would like to give you an important message that the best time to view sakura in Tokyo is in early-April. Never forget this!

You have discovered the best places to view cherry blossoms in Tokyo. Many people also prefer visiting renowned sakura spots that are located on the outskirts of Tokyo. Some also like to go to Kamakura or Yokohama as a day trip from the city. It’s you who will have to decide.

Thanks for reading.

4 Comments

  1. HAN SENG SOH

    Is it still true that Tokyo Sakura viewing is best in early April? I am planing sakura viewing trip to Tokyo and Kyoto in 2023. Tokyo from Mar 27 to Mar 31 and Kyoto from Apr 1 to Apr 6. Are these dates ok or do you have better suggestions?
    Thanks
    Han Seng

  2. incredible! i must go~ <3

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