7 Favorite Spots to See Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo
Seeing the cherry blossoms in bloom in Tokyo is an unforgettable experience. You can visit from late March to early April in the first week. By the second week, the cherry blossoms begin to fall and green leaves, usually known as "hazakura," appear. This marks the end of the beautiful hanami season.
To fully enjoy the cherry blossom view, you need to find out the best spots or places to see the blooming cherry blossoms. Well, this article will discuss some top spots to see cherry blossoms. Take notes and read more below!
Welcoming Spring in Tokyo
Cherry blossoms only bloom for 2 weeks, so make sure you have planned your time carefully to see them. Before visiting these places, prepare a JR Pass for intercity travel and an IC card or Suica for inner-city travel, making your journey more comfortable and efficient. Here are some favorite spots to see cherry blossoms for a more memorable experience.
1. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden contains three different styles of gardens: the Japanese Garden, the British Garden, and the French Garden. This allows you to enjoy every corner of its vast and beautiful grounds. You can spend time taking photos, picnicking, or simply taking a leisurely stroll. Its location in the city center provides a much calmer atmosphere amidst the bustling city of Tokyo.
Exploring this garden can be done by walking through paths adorned with the beauty of cherry blossoms or by renting a bicycle to cover larger areas more quickly. Additionally, you can visit one of the traditional tea houses within the garden, enjoying a cup of tea while taking in the surrounding natural beauty. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden often hosts festivals and cultural events, adding to its appeal.
For parents with children, don't worry! There's a spacious playground for kids. This allows parents to relax while enjoying the beautiful natural scenery. However, it's important to remember that alcoholic beverages and cooking equipment, such as grills, are not permitted inside the garden.
2. Yoyogi Park
Yoyogi Koen Park is a favorite destination for enjoying hanami or cherry blossom viewing every year. With an area of 540,000 square meters, the park features about 700 cherry blossom trees of various types, including the famous someiyoshino.
During the hanami season, various food stalls like yakisoba and catering services operate in the park. However, many visitors also bring their own food and drinks. The high number of visitors often leads to long queues at the public restrooms in the park. It's advisable to manage your drink consumption wisely when picnicking for hanami in this crowded park.
3. Meguro River
During springtime at Meguro River, you'll be treated to a bright blue sky contrasted with the pink hues of cherry blossoms lining the riverbanks. You can stroll along the Meguro River, which is filled with rows of cherry trees, approximately 800 of them.
In addition to the cherry trees, you can visit several Italian restaurants, cafes, and other eateries along the riverwalk. You'll also find places for visitors to enjoy food while admiring the cherry blossoms.
At night, the view is just as stunning! You can enjoy the unique atmosphere of viewing cherry blossoms after sunset at the Nakameguro Sakura Festival. At this festival, you can join locals picnicking, bringing snacks and drinks, and sitting on mats to enjoy the colorful cherry blossoms.
4. Chidorigafuchi
Chidorigafuchi Park is a favorite cherry blossom viewing destination for tourists every year, besides Ueno Park or Shinjuku Gyoen. The beautiful view of the canal with perfectly blooming cherry blossoms offers an unforgettable experience.
Located on the northwest side of the Japanese Imperial Palace, Chidorigafuchi offers a unique experience with a 700-meter long walking path surrounded by cherry trees. Besides being a historical witness to the glory of the Edo shogunate, this park offers various exciting activities during springtime.
Visitors can explore the stunning cherry blossom tunnels, admire the reflection of cherry blossoms on the canal's surface, or even navigate the canal by boat with a partner. Boat rental services are available daily, except Mondays, from 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM. The boat rental price is 800 yen during the cherry blossom season and 500 yen for other seasons. Although there are long queues during the hanami season, the experience gained is worth it and unforgettable.
5. Ueno Park
For those who have seen cherry blossoms in Tokyo, you must be familiar with this place. Ueno Park is one of the largest parks in Tokyo with over 1,000 cherry blossom trees, making it a favorite destination for hanami in spring.
Cherry blossom trees scattered throughout the park, including around Shinobazu Pond and in front of the station, make Ueno Park an attraction for visitors from Tokyo and its surroundings. Additionally, there is a yozakura (night cherry blossom) event held from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM local time to enhance the park's charm at night.
During the hanami season, Ueno Park is filled with various cherry blossom trees, including the large someiyoshino, yama zakura, and kanhi zakura varieties. Organizers also install more than 1000 lanterns and lights around the cherry trees, creating a romantic atmosphere with the night sky filled with the pink hues of cherry blossoms reflected by the lights.
6. Kokyo Higashi Gyoen
Near Tokyo Station, you'll find Kokyo Higashi Gyoen Garden as part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Here, there are about 280 cherry blossom trees, making it a destination for cherry blossom viewing as well. In addition to enjoying the cherry blossoms, visitors can explore the remaining ruins of Edo Castle within the garden.
There is also the Sannomaru Shozokan Museum, which displays important items and documents from the emperor's quarters, and can be visited for free. This place is suitable for those who want to explore Japanese culture and history or just want to relax. So, you can also travel while learning, Ballers! However, picnicking is not allowed in this area.
7. Inokashira Park
Inokashira Park is also one of the favorite places to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo, located west of Tokyo, near Kichijoji Station. A distinctive view of cherry blossoms at Inokashira Park is the Nanaibashi Bridge spanning the middle of Inokashira Pond.
From the bridge, you can enjoy the sight of 500 cherry blossom trees with 250 cherry tree branches extending into the pond. This is a favorite spot for photos, don't forget to prepare your camera and your best poses! Besides on the bridge, you can also picnic along the riverbanks under the beautiful cherry trees.
Spring Vacation Tips with a Traveling Checklist
During spring, packing your belongings also needs attention, Ballers! This list will help you ensure what items to bring and what you need for a specific season.
Even though creating a travel checklist is very helpful, it can be confusing to know where to start. Avoid creating an ineffective list of items that makes you carry unnecessary things or even forget essential items that you need to bring.
To avoid these issues, here are some tips you can follow to make your travels easier and more efficient:
1. Determine the Duration of Your Vacation
To create a travel list, the first thing to confirm is the duration of your vacation. This is a significant factor that will affect how many items you need and what you will bring during your vacation. Additionally, consider whether you will use a laundry service or be able to wash your clothes yourself.
2. Determine the Type of Bag to Bring
The type of bag you bring also greatly influences the travel checklist you create. Whether you bring a suitcase or a backpack depends on the type of vacation you are taking.
The type of luggage will determine the capacity of items you can bring.
In addition, some items are safer in a backpack or safer in a suitcase. For example, laptops, electronic devices, important items for daily use, you can store them in a backpack like the All-Day backpack. If you are bringing several types of bags at once, the size of the bags should be considered.
3. Limit the Items You Bring
The benefit of traveling should be to make you feel comfortable and stress-free. Too much luggage during a vacation can make what should be a refreshing holiday stressful.
Therefore, to avoid the hassle of carrying items, it is advisable not to be too rash and impulsive in deciding what to bring. Limit the items you bring by adjusting to your needs and carrying just enough bags so that the capacity limit is clearer and measurable.
By limiting your luggage, you'll not only feel lighter when traveling but also avoid extra costs for excess baggage. To learn more about airplane baggage fees per kg and various tips to save on baggage costs, you can read the full information in the article Airplane Baggage Price List per Kg and Tips to Save on Baggage Costs.
4. Make a List of the Most Essential Items
To limit the items you bring, you can create a traveling checklist of the most essential or needed items during your vacation. Typically, essential items for a vacation include changes of clothes, both outer and inner wear.
Hygiene products or toiletries, medicines, and electronic devices for communication. Once essential items are on the list and prepared, you can then start thinking about other additional items tailored to your vacation destination. For example, swimwear, accessories, or food.
5. Bring a Small Bag for Important Items
Besides bringing a large bag for clothes, you also need to bring a small bag for crucial items such as your phone, wallet, cash, passport, and other essentials. This makes it easier to access these items.
It's better to prepare a separate traveling checklist for this small bag from the large one. This way, the items that need to be brought will be clearer, minimizing the risk of leaving something behind.
These tips may be simple, but they will greatly help make your vacation easier and more organized if followed. From the traveling checklist, it's clear how important it is to choose the right bag and suitcase. Baller's latest collection of All-Day bags is ideal for short trips.
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