Update March 25th: The first cherry blossoms are going to be a little later than forecast. The cold snap earlier in March has delayed them by probably about a week. In Kyoto city they are expecting first blooms on the 26th, and Kyotango is usually about a week later than Kyoto. So the end of the week or early next week should see first bloom and about a week after that for full bloom.

Cherry blossom season varies a little year by year. The weather is a little warmer than last year so the first bloom will be a little earlier, probably in the back half of March.

The cherry blossom is practically synonymous with “Japan”, and are in blossom for about 2 weeks. The short blossom season has made it a must see event, even for local people.

Where and when can you see the cherry blossoms in 2024?

Kyotango has lots of places to see the cherry blossoms, but some of the most impressive spots can be found over here on our cherry blossom viewing guide, updated with all the best spots.

Forecasts can vary a little, the Sakura Weather Map suggests between March 20th and 25th, whereas the Japan Meteorological Corporation has forecast between March 25th and 30th. So expecting a first bloom around the 25th of March is reasonable.

The full bloom usually happens about a week later so it should be around the start of April.

The traditional way to enjoy the cherry blossoms is with a ‘hanami’, flower viewing, picnic. Weather dependent, the weekend of March 30/31st should have some good blossoms, or the weekend of April 6/7th, if the blossom is a little later.