Cherry Blossom Season Japan 2025

Info	Details
Best Airlines	Check out Scoot, Jetstar, Cathay Pacific, or ANA (codeshare with Virgin Australia)
Flight Duration	A direct flight from Sydney or Melbourne to Tokyo takes around 9-10 hours
Visa Requirements	Australians do not need a tourist visa for Japan if visiting for less than 90 days. Go to SmartTraveller for further travel advice
Currency & Payment	Japan still primarily uses cash (Yen), but credit cards are widely accepted too
Getting Around Japan	Train including Shinkansen (bullet train) is the best way to travel around Japan A Japan Rail Pass lets you travel anywhere on a single ticket
Where to See Cherry Blossoms	Late March - Early April: Greater Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima Mid-April to early May: Tohoku (northeast) region Late April to mid-May: Hokkaido (2hr flight from Tokyo)
Best Hotels	Check out our Top 3 hotels in popular tourist destinations below, chosen for their proximity to renowned cherry blossom spots Covering Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Sendai and Sapporo

Why Australians Should Experience Japan During Cherry Blossom Season

There’s a distinct kind of magic to Japan in spring. For Australians emerging from a sweltering summer, cherry blossom season in Japan offers a striking contrast. It's delicate, beautiful, and fleeting.

The Art of the Temporary

Cherry blossoms, or sakura, last a few weeks each year from first flower to peak bloom. It begins in the southern regions around January/February and moves north to the colder areas of Sendai and Hokkaido in April/May. The short-lived spectacle of the cherry blossoms is a reminder that beauty is never permanent. This notion is embedded in Japanese culture in a philosophy known as mono no aware [pronounced: mono-no-a-wa-ri] ?— literally 'the sorrow of objects', meaning an appreciation of the impermanence of things.

A Shared Love of the Outdoors

Australians are known for our love of the outdoors: picnics, barbecues, beach days, and road trips. But Japan takes outdoor appreciation to a completely new level during hanami — the tradition of flower viewing.

Unlike our backyard barbecues, hanami is a meticulously curated event. Parks become gathering spots filled with families, friends, and colleagues spreading out picnics under the blossoms. Bento boxes include seasonal treats that showcase the flavours of spring like pickled sakura leaves, tempura, and sweet mochi. The beer and sake are sakura-themed too, with limited edition cherry blossom brews available only at this time of year. It's a heightened version of something that Australians know well: an outdoor gathering but with a sense of ritual.

A Fusion of Past and Present

Australia’s cultural identity is largely informal and divided. While our Indigenous culture is ancient and enduring, many of our colonial-era landmarks feel young and disconnected especially when compared with Japan’s thousand-year-old shrines. We don’t have the same layers of tradition and ceremony that define Japanese society in modern times.

Travelling to Japan in spring showcases a country that perfectly blends the past and present. It’s not just the beauty of the cherry blossom that captivates travellers; it’s the way the blossom interacts with the landscape. In Tokyo, the cherry blossom dusts the roofs of neon-lit skyscrapers. In Kyoto, the falling petals frame ancient temples while geishas glide through narrow streets and wooden tea houses hold century-old rituals. And in Kamakura, it rests on the shoulders of bronze samurai statues.

A Seasonal Shift Worth Chasing

By April, Australians are beginning to feel the shift into autumn. In the southern states in particular, the days shorten and a crispness returns to the air. In Japan, spring is in full bloom bringing a kind of electric anticipation. The air is cool but not cold, the days are long enough for exploration without exhaustion. It’s the ideal climate for walking, to lose yourself in the narrow alleyways of Kyoto or along the canals of Kurashiki. For Australians feeling the post-summer slump, Japan in spring is a true awakening. It's a burst of color, scent, and brightness.

The Unexpected Serenity

One of the greatest myths about travelling to Japan during sakura season is that it’s crowded and chaotic. While hotspots like Ueno Park in Tokyo or Maruyama Park in Kyoto are certainly busy, there's magic to be found in quieter corners. Try a dawn walk along the Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto, where the petals float like confetti into the canal. Or an afternoon spent cycling beneath sakura tunnels in Hirosaki. Or relax in a mountain onsen, where steam rises against a backdrop of pale pink blooms.

The Journey, Not Just the Destination

It's easy to approach cherry blossom season as "checklist travel": see the flowers, take the photos, move on. But Japan doesn’t work that way. The real experience lies in the unexpected. It's about stumbling upon a hidden shrine surrounded by wild sakura. Following a riverbank in a town you’ve never heard of. Or sharing sake with strangers who become friends for an evening.

Travelling during cherry blossom season in Japan is a lesson in intimacy. It’s a different kind of adventure, one that rewards observation over adrenaline, stillness over hustle. It's a reminder that sometimes the smallest moments are the most profound. And nature, in its most ephemeral form, is always worth chasing.

Hotel Hotel Okura Kyoto

Nakagyo-ku Kawaramachi-Oike Kyoto 604-8558 Japan

Hotel Okura's elegant rooms boast spectacular views of Kyoto against the backdrop of the Higashiyama Mountains. In the heart of the city, the hotel treats its guests to a shopping avenue, free Wi-Fi a...more

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Cherry Blossom Season Japan 2025

Why Australians Should Experience Japan During Cherry Blossom Season

The Art of the Temporary

A Shared Love of the Outdoors

A Fusion of Past and Present

A Seasonal Shift Worth Chasing

The Unexpected Serenity

The Journey, Not Just the Destination

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