Ready to be done with winter? Fantasize about warmer times to come and get ready for the 2023 hanami season with this year’s up-to-date Japan cherry blossom forecast.
The Japanese archipelago runs on a roughly southwest to northeast axis, therefore the spring warmth — and the cherry blossoms — travel up the country from bottom to top.
Bonus: See our post on Japan’s Number 1 Cherry Blossom spot.
Please remember that this is a forecast! Individual trees, different sub-regions, and the weather (wind and rain especially) may affect flowering times. Also, check regularly because the forecast is updated frequently. According to the most recent forecast (March 2) the sakura will bloom earlier than expected, in some cases by nearly a whole week.
Below is the 2023 sakura forecast for major cities, including the date when the cherry blossoms are expected to be in full bloom.
Planning to stick around Tokyo? We’ve got you covered here with details on Tokyo area bloom dates.
2023 Japan cherry blossom forecast for major cities
Last updated: March 2, 2023
Kyūshū
| City | March | April |
|---|---|---|
| Fukuoka | Start: March 20th | Full Bloom: March 29th |
| Kagoshima | Start: March 29th | Full Bloom: April 8th |
Shikoku and Chūgoku
| City | March | April |
|---|---|---|
| Kōchi | Start: March 19th Full bloom: March 27th | – |
| Hiroshima | Start: March 23rd | Full Bloom: April 1st |
Kansai
| City | March | April |
|---|---|---|
| Kyoto | Start: March 23rd Full bloom: March 31st | – |
| Osaka | Start: March 24th | Full Bloom: April 1st |
| Wakayama | Start: March 23rd Full bloom: March 31st | – |
| Kōbe | Start: March 25th | Full Bloom: April 3rd |
| Nara | Start: March 24th | Full Bloom: April 1st |
Chūbu
| City | March | April |
|---|---|---|
| Nagoya | Start: March 21st Full bloom: March 30th | – |
| Shizuoka | Start: March 21st Full bloom: March 30th | – |
| Kanazawa | Start: March 28th | Full Bloom: April 4th |
| Niigata | Not blooming | Start: April 3rd Full Blossom: April 8th |
| Nagano | Not blooming | Start: April 3rd Full Blossom: April 9th |
Kantō
| City | March | April |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Start: March 16th Full bloom: March 24th | N/A |
| Yokohama | Start: March 18th Full bloom: March 26th | N/A |
Tōhoku
| City | March | April |
|---|---|---|
| Sendai | Not blooming | Start: April 1st Full Bloom: April 7th |
| Yamagata | Not blooming | Start: April 7th Full Bloom: April 12th |
| Aomori | Not blooming | Start: April 15th Full bloom: April 20th |
Hokkaidō
| City | March | April | May |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakodate | Not blooming | Start: April 24th Full bloom: April 28th | – |
| Sapporo | Not blooming | Start: April 27th | Start: May 2 Full bloom: May 5 |
| Muroran | Not blooming | Not blooming | Full bloom: May 1 |
Forecast data provided by the Japan Meteorological Corporation.
If you can’t get out for hanami in March/April, fear not! There are various varieties of sakura such as yaezakura which flower 3 to 4 weeks after the most popular yoshino variety.
While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change. Last updated in March 2023 by Maria Danuco.
