Immerse yourself in the poetic beauty of the Japanese cherry blossom festival

The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, also known as Hanami, takes place around March and lasts until May. You can see the flowers in Osaka, Tokyo, Hokkaido...

Referring to important events or festivals of Japan, we certainly cannot ignore the Japanese cherry blossom festival. One of the famous festivals, imbued with Japanese cultural characteristics and also attracting a large number of tourists to admire and experience. If you are a Japan lover, you definitely should not miss this iconic event.

1. Learn the meaning of the Japanese cherry blossom festival

Japanese cherry blossom festival, also known as Hanami, is a combination of the words Hana (flower) and mi (viewing), which means enjoying flowers/flower viewing. Hanami is one of the most prominent and popular festivals in Japan.

The Hanami Festival dates back thousands of years and is one of the events imbued with Japanese cultural identity

Hanami appeared thousands of years ago during the Nara period, popular in the Heian era. However, it was not until the Edo period 1600-1867 that the Japanese cherry blossom festival became truly popular among the entire population.

The cherry blossom festival takes place around March and lasts until May. At this time, Japan's roads are filled with cherry blossoms, creating a beautiful, romantic and picturesque scene.

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2. What do Japanese people do during the cherry blossom festival?

The cherry blossom festival is also associated with many fun and entertainment activities. Among them, the most popular activities include flower viewing, picnics and enjoying dishes made from cherry blossoms.

2.1. Enjoy the beauty of cherry blossoms

When cherry blossoms begin to bloom on the roads, it's also the time when Japanese people go out more. During the festival season, the main activity of Japanese people is enjoying cherry blossoms. Japan has up to 50 varieties of cherry blossoms with extremely unique colors of white, pink, and red. There are many accompanying activities to enjoy cherry blossoms more richly such as walking, rowing, boating...

2.2. Organize a picnic to eat and drink

Hanami is also an occasion when many Japanese people organize picnics and meals with family, relatives, and friends. You can choose a beautiful location to spread a carpet, display dishes and drinks prepared at home, and finally everyone can watch the cherry blossoms while eating, drinking, and chatting. In particular, enjoying tea under the cherry blossom garden is also an elegant and unique pleasure that you should not miss.

Japanese people often gather with family and friends to eat, chat and watch cherry blossoms during Hanami

2.3. Try unique dishes made from cherry blossoms

Of course, visitors cannot miss enjoying Japanese cuisine on Hanami. There are many traditional dishes as well as unique dishes made from cherry blossoms that you should try such as cherry blossom cold noodles, Sake wine, bento rice, sakura mochi cake...

3. Must-visit places to see Japanese cherry blossoms

Starting from March, the weather is still cold and sunny, the whole country of Japan is dyed with cherry blossoms, creating a beautiful, heart-touching scene. Hanami is held in many locations, giving you more options to see cherry blossoms. Some famous flower viewing spots that you definitely should not miss include:

3.1. Osaka

In Osaka, you can take a boat along the Okawa River and admire the cherry blossoms on both banks, or stroll at Osaka Castle and Hirakata Park to slowly admire the pure and magnificent beauty of the cherry blossoms.

3.2. Tokyo

If you choose Tokyo to see flowers, you can consider some of the most beautiful places to see flowers: Imperial Palace, Meguro River, Yasukuni Shrine... These places not only have beautiful cherry blossoms but also many activities. Extremely interesting and entertaining activities.

Along the Meguro River, cherry blossoms bloom beautifully like a fairy tale scene, attracting many people to enjoy

3.3. Hokkaido

Cherry blossoms usually bloom later in Hokkaido, but they have a special beauty. Cherry blossoms, after a period of hibernation, begin to bloom when the snow has not yet melted, with a pure and fragile beauty that is hard to describe. Some of the most beautiful flower viewing spots in Hokkaido are Shirunai Nikken Doro Street, Moerenuma Park, Goryokaku Tower, Hokkaido's Old Government Office Building...

3.4. Kyoto

Kyoto also has many unique cherry blossom viewing spots. You can choose to wear a kimono and take a walk in Maruyama park, Tetsugaku no michi philosophy street, Kamogawa river or Lake Biwa canal...

4. What should you keep in mind when participating in the cherry blossom festival?

To be able to fully participate and experience Hanami, you should pay attention to some necessary issues as follows:

The number of people participating in the Hanami festival is very large, so you can come early to find a nice spot and just get enough seating area.
Cherry blossoms are the "national flower" that need to be respected in Japan, so you are only allowed to enjoy them and are absolutely not allowed to pick or cut them.
Pay attention to maintaining general hygiene, do not litter and do not drink too much alcohol to avoid affecting the atmosphere during the festival.
Although cherry blossoms bloom all over Japan, not all areas are allowed to have flower viewing mats, so you need to check the location in advance.

You should only take enough seats for the number of people traveling with you to reserve for others

5. Cherry blossom calendar in Japan

Depending on the weather each year, the cherry blossom blooming time will be different, possibly earlier or later than the previous year. Below is the expected flowering time in 2023 for your reference:

Tokyo - Flowering: March 20 / Full bloom: March 27
Sapporo - Flowering: April 23 / Full bloom: April 25
Sendai - Flowering: April 8 / Full bloom: April 11
Kanazawa - Flowering: March 30 / Full bloom: April 5
Nagoya - Flowering: March 22 / Full bloom: March 30
Kyoto - Flowering: March 24 / Full bloom: March 30
Osaka - Flowering: March 23 / Full bloom: March 30
Hiroshima - Flowering: March 21 / Full bloom: March 29
Fukuoka - Flowering: March 17 / Full bloom: March 27

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The Japanese cherry blossom festival is always a great pride of the people of Japan. Therefore, you will definitely have a satisfying trip with interesting "lifetime" experiences when coming here. Don't forget to update regularly to know Vietjet's promotional information at: