On 10 January 2024, the Japan Meteorological Department released the Japan Cherry Blossom Forecast 2024.
This will help make travel plans much more accessible for those wanting to experience seeing these beautiful Sakura cherry blossoms in their natural habitat.
Japan Cherry Blossom Forecast 2024
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| The beautiful cherry blossom flowering buds were seen in Tokyo. |
Below is the update issued by the Japan Meteorological Department on 10 January;
- 18 March - Kochi, Shikoku Island. Full bloom is eight days later.
- 19 March - Kumamoto. Full bloom is 25 March.
- 21 March - Fukuoka and Nagoya. Full bloom in Fukuoka on 30 March and Nagoya on 31 March.
- 23 March - Tokyo. Full bloom a week later.
- 23 March Kyoto. Full bloom six days later.
- 25 March - Osaka. Full bloom is expected on 1 April.
- 26 March - Hiroshima. Full bloom is on 3 April.
- 31 March - Kanazawa. Full bloom is on 6 April.
- 2 April - Matsumoto. Full bloom is on 11 April.
- 2 April - Fuji Five Lakes. Full bloom is on 10 April.
- 8 April - Sendai. Full bloom on 15 April.
- 2 May - Sapporo, Hokkaido. Full bloom is four days later, on 6 March.
The next update will be provided on 25 January by the Japan Meteorological Department (JMC) and will likely feature other smaller destinations.
Every year, Japan's Sakura Cherry Blossom season starts from around March to April. Therefore, visitors should check which part of Japan they want to visit as the timing is different.
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| One of the early full-bloom cherry trees in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo. |
When you see a fresh bloom of cherry blossom buds, this means that they will fully bloom in a week. In colder regions, they bloom between 3-4 days.
There are also several types of cherry blossoms, and the popular ones that visitors want to see are the Somei Yoshino (Yoshino Cherry Trees), which the forecasts above are based on.
This news was obtained from the Japan Meteorological Department, and for more information, you can also bookmark their page.
Those who want on-the-go information, please check out the App called Sakura Navi - Forecast in 2024. Get it from the App Store or Google Play.
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| A close-up of the cherry blossom flowers during full bloom. |
Conclusion
For those who cannot wait, the best thing to do is start making arrangements and head over to Kochi in Shikoku Island as the cherry blossoms bloom there on 18 March. I recommend you arrive on 25 March for the full bloom.
Generally, the optimum time to visit popular cities like Osaka and Tokyo would be at the end of March or early February. This Japan Cherry Blossom Forecast 2024 article is a resource for anyone planning to visit Japan specifically for this.