Brought to you by Japan National Tourism Organization.
Do you have a travel bucket list? Mine started off really small, but seems to grow extensively as I get older, and the more I look at Instagram. There are so many beautiful places to visit, food to eat and adventures to have.
One of the things that was on my very first bucket lists was to eat sushi in Japan. Two years I got to cross that off my list, and it was a memorable moment. I was perched on a bar stool in a tiny sushi restaurant in the bustling fish markets of Tokyo. The sushi didn’t disappoint, and the days after made me realise just how amazing the food of Japan is, so much more than sushi, even though I did accidentally eat some really tiny fried fish with eyes and beef tongue. It makes it all more of an adventure!
When it comes to Japan, there’s still so much I have to see, including Osaka and Kyoto, especially the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, but at the very top of my bucket list is taking photos of the cherry blossoms in full bloom. When I travelled it was in late May, and we just missed Cherry Blossom season. Like, seriously, a few weeks earlier and we would have been in Cherry Blossom heaven. Alas, it wasn’t so… but it just meant that I’d have to return another time to take it all in properly.
Cherry Blossoms have been an important part of Japan for hundreds of years, and each year when they come into bloom it’s cause for much celebration for Japanese families with festivals, music and food, and it brings tourists in by the droves. They represent new beginnings, and an appreciation of life with how fleeting their beauty is, reminding locals and visitors to enjoy the moment.
Right now, we’re moving in to Cherry Blossom season which happens in late March through to mid-April, where Japan will turn into a sea of beautiful pink. I’ve worked with the team at Japan National Tourism Organization to share the best places to visit to see Cherry Blossom season, and to take in this beautiful, natural wonder.
FIVE BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO SEE CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN JAPAN
NAGOYA
Home to one of Japan’s shipping and manufacturing hubs, Nagoya is another beautiful spot to take in a little Cherry Blossom sightseeing. The season will be kicking off around March 25th 2018, with beautiful parks filled with blooms.
SHIZUOKA
If you’re looking to capture a photo of the beautiful Mount Fuji with blossoms in front, then this is the spot to head to. This is one of the most stunning locations in all of Japan to visit, and especially perfect during Cherry Blossom season, which starts around March 23rd, 2018.
Meguro River in Tokyo, Japan
TOKYO
It’s hard to go past this beautiful city, which has the stunning contrast of hustle and bustle, and then lush greenery at the same time. Shinjuku Gyoen is a park located close to a busy entertainment and business district, and easy to walk to. Tokyo is set to start blooming from March 24th 2018.
SENDAI
Located on the island of Honshu, just northeast of Tokyo, Sendai is another beautiful spot to go looking for Cherry Blossoms. While you’re there you can also see the remains of the Sendai Castle. Blossoms here start a little later than other parts of the country, around April 10th 2018.
SAPPORO
If you want to leave Cherry Blossom sightseeing to as late as possible, you can visit Sapporo which blooms latest out of all the cities. Starting in early May (on the second to be most precise), Sapporo is famous for it’s beer, skiing and mountainous regions.
What’s on your travel bucket list? Does seeing the Cherry Blossoms of Japan make your list?
We are booked for a holiday in japan in early May, I would dearly love to see cherry blossom but it might have to be on another trip there. Copenhagen and Italy are on my bucket list dream holiday destinations.