February 25, 2010
Cherry Blossom Viewing Hot Spots
Spring has made its appearance uncharacteristically early this year, but Japan has welcomed the blooming cherry blossoms with open arms. The annual cherry blossom festivals typically kick off in mid- to late-March and continue through the end of April (check for this year’s anticipated schedules here), and if you’re looking for the best places to “ooh” and “aah” over the cherry blossoms trees, here are a few hot spots:
View Tokyo’s Cherry Blossom Hot Spots in a larger map
Ueno Park
As one of Tokyo’s largest and busiest parks, Ueno Park is a very popular destination to view the seasonal hanami or cherry blossoms. Host to approximately 1,000 cherry trees and some of Tokyo’s most revered cultural centers (Tokyo National Museum; National Museum of Western Art; Shitamachi Museum; Ueno Zoo; and Shinobazu Pond, a bird sanctuary), Ueno Park receives millions of visitors a year. Whether you’re interested in taking in the cherry blossoms before a business meeting, wanting to enjoy an outdoor picnic or experience some of Tokyo’s cultural icons, Ueno Park must make it on your itinerary list.
Cherry blossoms shower Ueno Park during the spring months.
Shinjuku Gardens
The Shinjuku Gardens were created by fusing Eastern and Western landscape designs. The Gardens are home to over 1,000 cherry trees of 12 varieties, and with plenty of open space, it is perfect for lounging on a sunny afternoon.
With over 12 varieties of cherry trees scattered throughout Shinjuku Gyoen, there will be no shortage of photo perfect moments.
Imperial Palace and Chidorigafuchi
While most of the Emperor’s Imperial Gardens are closed to the public, Kitanomaru Park and the Imperial Palace East Gardens are available for spectators to gather and appreciate the cherry blossoms’ display. The northeastern section of Kitanomaru Park is called Chidorigafuchi, and boats are available to rent close to the Hanzomon station.
Add a little more culture to your visit by touring the resident museums: Science Museum, National Museum of Modern Art & Craft Gallery and Nippon Budokan.
Cherry blossom spectators paddle through the moat at Chidorigafuchi.
Meiji-jingu
One of Tokyo’s most famous Shinto shrines, Meiji-jingu, was erected in honor of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken in 1920. The shrine is centrally located in Tokyo’s largest park Yoyogi Koen, and is a gathering place to appreciate the surrounding cherry blossoms and pay homage to the divine spirits.
Photo credits: TiareScott, Ali San, Mrhayata, KimonBerlin
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Rhonda posted on February 27, 2010 at 10:04 pm
They are fabulous! We visited the Japanese garden here in Portland during January…even though it was cold it was still so green and mossy and lovely! Can’t wait to visit there this spring when the fluffy white and pink blossoms have taken over~ Thank you, Rhonda