Japanese cherry blossom viewing, or “Hanami”, is a huge event in japan. There are thousands of similar species of cherry tree across Japan, the end result being them all blooming in succession as the warm spring weather travels up the country – quite a spectacle and also a great excuse to go and have a couple of beers with some friends outdoors…

Soak it up

One of the great things to do with a Japan Rail Pass is follow this wave of sakura from south to north Japan, stopping off along the way to enjoy the sights, festivities and endless barbecues! In fact, some of the JRPass.com team is off to Japan in a week to do just that!

Online resources

To help us plan, we’ve been consulting the JNTO cherry blooming forecast. On this page, you’ll find detailed predictions of when and where the sakura will first bloom, and be in full bloom (this stuff is a science in Japan). A top resource for every Hanami lover!

photo cliff1066