Spring in Japan is something to behold, filled with beauty and cultural events. Landscapes brim with Japan’s famed sakura, or cherry flower blossoms, which paint parks, temple grounds, and riverbanks in gorgeous pinks and whites.
There’s always something happening in Japan in spring, from Kyoto’s Miyako Odori geisha dancing performances in April to Tokyo’s Kanda Matsuri Shinto celebration in May.
Whether you’re enjoying seasonal cuisines, like sweet sakura mochi or fresh fish from the sea, hiking in the verdant hills, or wandering around lantern-filled lanes and paths, a visit to Japan in the spring will offer you an unforgettable travel experience.
Springtime Weather
Yoyogi Park, Tokyo
For many, spring is the most pleasant time of the year to explore Japan. Mid-March to May sees a gradual warming of temperatures, reaching on average 50°F (10°C) in the early spring and 68–77°F (20–25°C) by May, although temperatures vary depending on the region you are visiting.
Keep in mind that Japan is a long archipelago, extending from warmer climates in the south, such as Okinawa, up to the cooler areas in the north, like Hokkaido island. If you plan on covering large swathes of the country, pack warm and cold weather gear and clothing.
Nevertheless, the milder spring temperatures are ideal for sightseeing, trekking, and outdoor activities, avoiding the humidity of summer and the bone-rattling chill of winter.
Chidorigafuchi Park, Tokyo
Typically, Japan experiences moderate rain during the spring before the monsoon season kicks off during the summer. That being said, it’s always a good idea to pack a thin, waterproof jacket or umbrella for those spring showers, particularly in April.
If you’re visiting destinations in northern Japan, like Hokkaido, it will be cooler, with the possibility of some light snow in the early spring, offering a vivid contrast to the blooming sakura. Layer up, as mornings and evenings can still be cold during the spring, even in some of the southern islands, such as Kyushu.
Read: What to Pack for Japan
Cherry Blossom Viewing
Sensoji Temple, Tokyo
In Japan, the arrival of cherry blossoms or sakura is celebrated during the spring with hanami, or flower-gazing festivals that take place all over the country. Depending on the location, these festivities can start as early as March and April and extend well into May. Cherry blossom events often include performances, traditional food stands, and live music.
The hanami tradition, going strong for over a millennium, began during Japan’s Heian Period, when the upper echelons of society would carve out time to admire flowers while they wrote poetry.
These days, people from all walks of life head to parks, temples, and riverbanks to picnic under cherry blossom trees, where they enjoy good food and sake with friends and family. Tokyo’s Ueno Park, for example, is a hanami paradise, with more than 1,000 cherry trees lining the paths, creating a pinkish, dreamlike flowery hue.
Kochi Castle, Kochi
The Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto, with its sakura-strewn canal, is a lovely spot for a stroll while cherishing these pretty blooms. Kochi’s Kochi Castle hosts a cherry blossom festival, and you can also enjoy hanami revelries at Nagasaki’s Peace Park.
Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, with hundreds of cherry trees, is festooned with cherry tree blooms in the spring while also teaching you about a very somber moment in Japan’s history, as this is the site of the atomic bomb explosion during World War Two.
Mount Fuji’s Five Lakes Region
Lake Kawaguchiko
While access to the top of Mount Fuji doesn’t usually open until the summer, you can still enjoy the splendor of this iconic volcano during spring in Japan by exploring the Fuji Five Lakes region, located at the base of the mountain.
The five lakes include Kawaguchiko, Saiko, Yamanaka, Shoji, and Motosu. These bodies of fresh water feature spring hiking, delightful cherry blossoms, and breathtaking scenery, including, of course, Mount Fuji itself, a national symbol of Japan.
Lake Kawaguchiko, the most accessible of the lakes, comes with panoramic views, with Fuji’s stratovolcano peak rising in the distance. Walk around the lake on a looping trail, rent a swan-shaped paddle boat, or venture into the Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum to learn more about European music boxes.
Lake Yamanaka
Yamanaka, the largest of the five lakes, is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, with a dedicated cycling trail and hiking paths that come alive during the spring after the nation shakes off the chill of winter.
Time permitting, you can also visit the lake region’s Aokigahara Forest, a mossy woodland that emerged from hardened lava in centuries past. Local legend has it that this forest is haunted.
Oshino Hakkai
Another entertaining stop is Oshino Hakkai, a pretty village between Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Yamanaka. This village is on the tourist map due to its eight scenic freshwater ponds, fed by Mount Fuji’s snowmelt.
Oshino Hakkai’s attractive thatched-roof houses and culinary specialties such as grilled trout and mochi mugwort rice cakes will also pique your interest.
Japanese Spring Cuisine
Takenoko
Spring in Japan is filled with seasonal delights, bound to please any gourmand. Takenoko, or bamboo shoots, are one springtime snack that you can enjoy grilled, boiled, or added to rice dishes for some mild sweetness.
Sakura mochi is a delicious red bean paste rice cake encased in a pickled cherry tree leaf, creating subtle floral flavors. Then there are the sansai, or mountain vegetables, such as bracken and flowering rapeseed, or nanohana, which are harvested in the spring and added to tempura, soup and other Japanese dishes.
Amaou strawberries
Strawberries, such as the large amaou strawberries of Fukuoka, are especially good in the spring whether eaten fresh or added to a dessert.
You will also come across springtime staples like clams—hamaguri hard clams, for example—added to miso soup or grilled, and shirasu, or baby whitefish sardines, which are popular in coastal areas and used in stir-fry dishes and rice bowls.
If you simply want to admire Japan’s seasonal goods, check out markets such as Tsukiji in Tokyo or Nishiki in Kyoto.
Mount Rokko Trekking
Mount Rokko
The top of Mount Rokko, which looks out over Kobe, turns into a green and flowery paradise with the arrival of spring in Japan.
Only a 10-minute cable car ride from this Japanese city, this natural haven—set amid the high population zones of Kobe and Osaka—has commanding views of Osaka Bay and on a clear day, the Kansai region beyond.
Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden
Mount Rokko’s springtime cherry blossoms and other blooms create beautiful pink and red landscapes across the mountain, making it one of the most beautiful places in Japan. For even more blooms, visit the Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden, bursting with exotic alpine flowers.
The mountain is also packed with nature trails. You’ll see waterfalls, tea houses, and viewpoints with stunning vistas during your hikes. If you have time, visit Rokkosan Pasture, where you can meet friendly sheep and taste fresh dairy products while you appreciate the rolling green hills.
Spring Festivals
Himeji Castle
The springtime festival calendar in Japan is filled with events showcasing the nation’s natural beauty, storied culture, and history.
The Himeji Castle Cherry Blossom Festival is held from March to April every year. The festival merges a visit to Japan’s biggest castle, near Kobe, with the ethereal beauty of sakura viewing, along with a large dose of traditional music, drumming, dance performances, and food vendors hawking tasty goods such as fish cakes next to the blossoming trees.
Aoi Matsuri, Kyoto
In May, Kyoto puts on the Aoi Matsuri Hollyhock festival, which is a spectacle celebrating two Shinto shrines, and includes a grand procession with participants decked out in Heian-era costumes and kimonos, reflecting the city’s ancient past.
Then there’s the Izumi Shrine Spring Festival in Kumamoto in April, less than an hour south of Fukuoka by train, with cherry blossoms, horseback archery, traditional costumes, theater, and delicious food. If visiting in March, there’s the Spring Kumamoto Castle Festival as well, featuring traditional dance performances in front of the castle.
The Hakata Dontaku Festival, held in Fukuoka in May, attracts tens of thousands of costumed dancers—along with thousands of onlookers—marching through the streets alongside colorful hana jidosha floral buses.
Hirosaki Castle, Aomori
Last but not least, the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival in Aomori—with more than 2,000 sakura trees and plenty of food stalls—turns the grounds of Hirosaki Castle into a pink-colored wonderland.
Golden Week Celebrations
Golden Week in Tokyo
Keeping with the spirit of revelries and merrymaking, if traveling during the spring in Japan, pay attention to events surrounding Golden Week, which takes place during the last week of April and the first week of May every year.
Golden Week consists of four national holidays grouped together, including Showa Day, celebrating the birthday of Emperor Showa, Constitution Day, Greenery Day, and Children’s Day.
These concurrent celebrations create a weeklong procession of festivities. In Tokyo, pedestrianized streets are filled with entertainment, food stands, and activities for children. Celebrations also take place in Kobe, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, and nationwide.
Even though travel during Golden Week can be hectic, it’s a great time to see Japan’s festive spirit in full swing. Watch the local events calendars to take full advantage of the goings-on, no matter where you happen to be in Japan during the spring.
Miyajima Island’s Springtime Beauty
Miyajima Island
Miyajima Island, also known as Itsukushima, is just south of Hiroshima. It’s an amazing place to visit during the spring. This large island is home to Japan’s beautiful “floating” Itsukushima Shinto Shrine and the Vermilion Torii gate, which rise majestically from Hiroshima Bay and the Seto Inland Sea.
The shrine, which appears to float above the water when the tide comes in, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that mixes natural splendor with religious heritage. The shrine’s current iteration dates back to the late 1800s, although torii gates have stood here as early as the sixth century.
Like many other places in Japan in spring, Miyajima enjoys the cheerful colors of cherry blossom trees, especially around Momijidani Park—which is also filled with maple trees—and along the island’s many hiking trails.
Mount Misen, Miyajima Island
Enjoy a hike or a cable car ride to the top of Mount Misen, the island’s highest peak, for stellar views of the surrounding islands and Hiroshima Bay. As you trek around the forested terrain, you will likely cross paths with Itsukushima’s numerous free-roaming sika deer, considered holy messengers of the gods.
Wander down the comely streets of Miyajima Town and try local delicacies like grilled oysters, momiji manju, or maple leaf sweet cakes, and anago-mesh, baked conger eel over rice. Make sure you visit the Buddhist Daisho-in Temple, a tranquil complex with hundreds of Buddhist statues and lanterns.
Spring Tea Harvesting
Green tea leaves
Tea traditions are intimately linked with spring in Japan. The first Ichibancha leaf harvest takes place in April and May. Other harvests and tea-themed festivals also take place during the summer and autumn.
One of Japan’s biggest tea-growing areas is located in Shizuoka Prefecture, which is an hour or so by train from Yokohama and Tokyo.
If you head to Shizuoka and the Makinohara tea plantation in April or May, you can book tours to learn how to harvest tea, learn about tea production, take part in tea ceremonies, and try foods like soba noodles and ice cream infused with green tea.
Green tea
In Kyoto, a national focal point of the tea ceremony ritual, you can take part in spring festivals like Kitano Odori, which sees Gion district geishas and maikos, or novice geishas performing elaborate tea ceremonies before performing their elaborate dances.
Sensoji Temple
Enjoy the beauty of spring in east Asia by booking one of Celebrity’s cruises to Japan to experience springtime festivals, culture, cherry blossoms, and fine cuisine.
