Kyoto in Spring
Spring, is for sure one of the two best seasons to visit Kyoto! This is the famous Cherry Blossom Season (Hanami) In Kyoto!
Although it is different from year to year, it is pretty safe to say that the cherry blossoms usually bloom in the last week of March and the first two weeks of April in Kyoto. Once they bloom, they are notoriously fickle: sometimes almost all the trees will come into full bloom (“mankai”) at the same time and stay in full bloom for a week or even longer. Other times, cherries in different parts of the city will peak at different times and some trees will start dropping petals while others still haven’t peaked. Worse yet, heavy rains can strike just after most trees have reached peak, bringing the petals down several days earlier than they might have lasted.
In 2014, we were able to enjoy flowers almost during the whole of April (considering the late blooming variety of cherry trees). However, in 2015 the blooming started suddenly, surprising a lot of people, and didn’t last more than a week because of rain and wind.
It is really pretty difficult to predict when the cherry blossoms will peak
Timing your trip to coincide with the cherry blossoms is a very tricky affair. If you leave yourself only a couple of days in Kyoto, you might find that you’ve arrived just after the cherries have bloomed, or you might have the frustrating experience of seeing the trees approaching peak just as you have to leave the city. In order to be sure of catching the cherries at their peak, you’d have to stay 10 days or so in the city, and this would cost a fortune at high-season rates.
Here are a few sites and destinations we recommend for seeing the flowers of the Kyoto “Hanami” at their finest…
Hanami – Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto
With over 200 photos, this photo ebook will not only show you the beauty of the cherry blossoms in Kyoto but will explain and describe the way the Japanese people enjoy this season. It will provide you with information and suggestions to discover and enjoy this most wonderful season…
Kawazu Zakura
Walking around the city near a place I used to live, I was pleasantly surprised to discover several cherry trees in full bloom in a parking lot up the street. This was the first time after the many years I passed nearby that I saw these trees. The plums are currently...
Ao Momiji – New Maple Leaves
After a beautiful cherry blossoms season, things slow down a bit and all is quiet for a while. Then, around the middle of the month of May, is the perfect time to look around the temples and the mountains for the maple trees having new leaves.
Spring has come at Jônangû Shrine
When we talk about the spring in Kyoto, images of cherry blossoms come to mind. But the flower season actually starts much earlier, in February, with the blossoming of the plum flowers. One of the best places in Kyoto to enjoy these is a lovely shrine located in southern Kyoto, Jōnangū.
Hanami Party in Maruyama Koen
Hanami (“flower viewing”) is the traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers. This often involves a picnic party to enjoy the cherry blossoms as well as food and drinks. People have a Hanami party with friends, family or colleagues . . .
Okame Cherry at the Chotokuji Temple
This year’s cherry blossom is a bit late…. But there are still various places where one can see and enjoy cherry flowers. The Omake Cherry Tree in front of the Chotokuji Temple is one of the first to bloom in Kyoto. And it’s been an amazing view for the last few days.
The Aoi Matsuri Festival
The Aoi Matsuri (葵祭) is one of Kyoto’s three most famous festivals and takes place every May 15th. The festival’s main attraction is a large parade in Kyoto, in which over 500 people dressed in the style of the Heian Period (794-1185)
Last flower viewing of 2016
As this year’s Hanami season comes to an end, the last place to visit around Kyoto is often the Ninna-Ji Temple (仁和寺). Located in the North West part of town, this temple is quite famous for its Omuro cherry trees, ancient, dwarf, late-flowering trees.
Cherry flowers and People
One of Kyoto most popular hanami spots in April is without doubt The Path of Philosophy (“Tetsugaku-no-michi” in Japanese). It is a pleasant stone path through the northern part of Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, that follows a canal lined up by hundreds of cherry trees.
The Sakura Season has started!
On 23rd of March, 2016, Kyoto weather forecast station announced the first bloom of cherry, or in other words, the beginning of this year’s Hanami — the Cherry Blossom Season.
This is four days earlier than last year and five days earlier than the average year.
Hanami – Flower Viewing
Hanami – 花見- in Japanese literally means “Flowers Viewing”, but we usually understand it as Cherry Blossom. But the cherry is not the only type of flowers we can enjoy, and the Hanami season doesn’t start in late March or early April…
Hirano Jinja, a Favorite Hanami Spot
Hirano Jinja (Shrine) is a very old Shinto shrine — established in the year 794. It is among the most popular spots in Kyoto among Japanese people for its gardens and numerous cherry trees, for viewing the flowers, singing and drinking.
The Philosopher’s Path
The Philosopher’s Path (哲学の道, Tetsugaku no michi) is a pleasant stone path through the northern part of Kyoto’s Higashiyama district. The path follows a canal which is lined by hundreds of cherry trees.
Beginning of the Cherry Blossoms
Today, we had a beautiful warm and sunny day. On the way back from the Kyoto Station, we realized that the cherry trees along the bank of the Kamogawa River were starting to blossom.
Light Show at the Shoren-In Temple
Shoren-In is certainly not one of the main temples around, but it really is a very nice one and has undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Japanese gardens in Kyoto. This is not a mere lighting up of the garden, but it is an actual light show.
Plum blossoms at the Kitano Tenmangu Shrine
While most people think “Cherry Blossom” when considering the Hanami season, it actually starts with the plum blossoms around the end of February. This is, a few weeks before the cherry blossoms, the actual beginning of spring in Kyoto.
Hanami – Flower Viewing
Hanami (lit. “flower viewing”) is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers. “Flower” in this case almost always means cherry blossoms (“sakura”). From the middle of March to early May, the Japanese people …
Ninna-ji Temple
Ninna-ji (仁和寺) is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. It is located in western Kyoto, near Ryoanji and Kinkakuji. We usually visit all three temples on the same day.
