posted on February 12, 2019

  An unprecedentedly cold air mass has recently been sweeping down the Japanese archipelago and it makes everybody aspire to enjoy cherry blossoms or sakura, which are expected to bloom after a few more weeks. In fact, Somei-yoshino, the most popular variety of cherry trees, develops floral buds in the summer, but they don’t bloom immediately and stay as they are until spring because the tree’s leaves release a hormone that stops the buds from growing. Spring has not sprung yet in Tokyo but we hope that time is not far off when we can indulge ourselves in contemplating the beauties of cherry blossoms. The Japan Weather Association released its latest cherry blossom forecast (sakura calendar 2019) last week. Below are the expected dates of blooming. In Tokyo, sakura blooms are predicted to open around March 22, a few days earlier than average, and the peak will occur within about one week of emergence of the first blossoms. If you think you will miss “Hanami” or cherry blossom viewing in Tokyo, we suggest you plan your trip to head for the northern regions. Why not view sakura like the Japanese joyfully celebrating under cherry trees? We, personalguidejp.com, are planning the “Hanami day tour” to visit some of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in Tokyo. We are looking forward to seeing you soon!

!! It is important to note that temperatures, rain and wind may affect the cherry blossom period across Japan. The dates largely depend on the weather during the last few weeks before blooming. We will be tracking the progress of the cherry blossom front.

released on February 7, 2019

       Tokyo          Kyoto          Nagoya        Fukuoka       Kanazawa     Sendai     Sapporo

March 22    March 24      March 23       March 19        April 1         April 9       May 3