Introduction to Cherry Blossom Season
Cherry blossom season is the most wonderful and beautiful time of the year in Japan. The whole country is dressed in light pink flowers and every place looks like a dream! It’s a popular season not only among international travellers, but Japanese people also love it and they organize hanami picnics under the trees. Hanami literally means “flower viewing” and they can spend hours and hours outside, eating and drinking with family and friends while watching the sakura trees.
The sakura season in Kansai region (Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto) starts at the end of March and continues until about the 10th of April with the flowers being in their peak around 4.-6. April, before they start to fall down. Tokyo enjoys the blossoms about a week earlier. The exact dates can change every year though. It all depends on the weather during winter, for example if the winter is warm, the flowers will start to bloom earlier.
In this article I will take you to the best places where to see the cherry blossoms in Kyoto. If you are visiting Kyoto outside the sakura season, head to my older article here, to check out some unmissable experiences in this gorgeous city (because Kyoto is a year round destination and can be enjoyed all the time)!
Path of Philosophy
Called also The Philosopher’s Path, or Tetsugako-no-michi in Japanese, is pleasant, 2 km long walk along the canal and is completely lined with hundreds and hundreds of cherry blossom trees. Plus you can visit some impressive temples along the way, like Ginkaku-ji Silver Pavilion or Nanzenji Temple. During the day it’s often crowded so it’s worth to wake up early or come later in the evening.
Keage Incline
The Keage Incline was used until the 1950s to transport boats between the Okazaki canal and other canals at higher elevation. Today, these gently sloping rail tracks are lined with a hundred of cherry trees that create an atmosphere like from a movie set! Keage Incline is also a walking distance to the Eikan-do Zenrin-ji Temple which is the beginning of The Philosopher’s Path.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
The grounds of this magnificent bustling temple are decorated with many sakura trees, however, the largest concentration of them is by a small pond near the entrance. The admission fee is 400 yen and from the Grand Hall you’ll get amazing views over Kyoto.
Maruyama-koen Park
Maruyama Koen is by far the most popular place in Kyoto for hanami picnics. People start to come here early to set up their picnic sets and to reserve the best spots. The entrance is free and many small lanterns illuminate the park from dusk until midnight daily.
Kamo River
You cannot miss Kamo River, or Kamo-gawa, when visiting Kyoto. It is the main river traversing the city. It’s lined with cherry blossoms at many different parts, however the most popular and pleasant place is in the northern Kyoto, where Kamo-gawa is crossed by Kitaoji street.
Hirano Shrine
One of Kyoto’s most beloved hanami spots. About 60 different kinds of cherry blossom trees can be found within the temple grounds with their peak in early April. On the 10th of April, the Okasai Festival takes place here. The admission is free.
Kyoto Botanical Gardens
Cherry trees in Kyoto Botanical Gardens are one-of-a-kind late blooming variety, so this is a perfect place to visit if the rest of the trees around the city are after their peak and stopped blooming. There are about 450 species of trees. The admission fee is 200 yen and the opening hours of the gardens take place from 9 am to 5 pm.
If you are planning to visit Japan during sakura season, you won’t be disappointed! However, you have to expect bigger amounts of people and maybe a little raise in prices as well. If you want to take some beautiful pictures, wake up as early as possible to enjoy the places while the rest of the world sleeps. Japanese love to do the hanami picnics until very late night, so coming later in the evening won’t be an option. Kyoto is less than an hour train ride from Osaka, so you can visit both cities to enjoy hanami. Check out my article about sakura season in Osaka so you make the most of your trip in Japan!
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Cherry blossom season is the most wonderful and beautiful time of the year in Japan. The whole country is dressed in light pink flowers and every place looks like a dream! It’s a popular season not only among international travellers, but Japanese people also love it and they organize hanami picnics under the trees. Hanami literally means “flower viewing” and they can spend hours and hours outside, eating and drinking with family and friends while watching the sakura trees. cherry b
