I’ve been lucky to have visited Japan during Sakura season a few times in the past. This year, I was thrilled when I learned our visit to Japan will once again coincide with the forecasted blooming of the cherry blossom flowers. However, this year was special – it was my first time being in the country during the entire lifecycle of a Sakura season, before the peak bloom and a little after the peak has passed.
Of course, I made sure to catch all the stages of Sakura blooms. And to do that, I personally visited all the popular sakura-viewing spots in Tokyo. I’ll be going through each of them in this post, and my personal rating for all the spots, so you can decide whether it’s worth going or not.
Let’s get into it!
Tips for Sakura season: Wanna know more about Sakura season, and visiting Japan during spring? I’ve written a detailed blog post for you – read them here!
1. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Shinjuku Gyoen also has several Sakura varieties, so it’s a good choice since you don’t have to be here during the forecasted peak time. But the down side is, there will be a crowd around the Sakura trees so don’t expect a peaceful time if your main goal is to get a good photo of yourself and the Sakura trees.
While you can’t expect the park to be crowdless, it’s still also a good choice for selfies since the trees tend to be more low laying than other locations. Which means, you don’t have to try super hard to get a photo of yourself and the Sakura flowers.
The rest of the garden is still good to explore though, in terms of crowds. And if you only want photos of the flowers, it’s still very possible to get close up photos without anyone in it.
In the photos above, you can see the clear difference between Sakura varieties. The one on the left is the early blooming Sakura (called Yoko), and the one on the right is the Someiyoshino.
The garden costs 500 yen to enter, and you can just tap in your IC card to pay. In the spring starting from 15 March, they open from 9AM to 5:30PM. But gates close by 6 PM and you need to be out by then. Check out the full list of opening hours here.
Shinjuku Gyoen is a pretty big garden, so before you go, make sure you check the garden map. In the spring section, you’ll find information about the sakura varieties in Shinjuku Gyoen and where you can find them in the garden.
⭐️ My rating: B. Despite the crowd, Shinjuku Gyoen is still one of the best places to visit in Tokyo, in my opinion. With plenty of Sakura varieties that blooms at different times, it’s a great option even if you’re coming earlier or later than the peak Sakura time.
2. Meguro River in Nakameguro
Meguro River is yet another very well known spot for Sakura viewing in Tokyo. Along the river, there are plenty of Sakura trees of the Someiyoshino variety, which is the most popular type of Sakura in Tokyo. They will bloom according to the national forecast.
My personal advice is to start by going from Ikejiri-ohashi Station and then walk along the Meguro River east-ward until you hit Nakameguro station. Ikejiri-ohashi tend to be less crowded, but the crowd will inevitably thicken as you get closer to Nakameguro. But on the up side, there will be food stands and more amenities within the vicinity of Nakameguro station.
There is also a night light up which is even more popular than the day time. It usually starts from 5PM to 8PM.
Starbucks fan? If you’re a fan of the green coffee brand, don’t miss the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. It’s located right along the Meguro River and one of the largest Starbucks I’ve ever seen.
⭐️ My rating: B+ for the amount of Sakura trees. Even though it’s going to be crowded, the view of Sakura trees in Nakameguro is still iconic.
3. Meguro River near Meguro Station
Yes, technically this is the same river as the in point 2 above, but I had to separate them because the vibe in Nakameguro and Meguro station is completely different. In this part of town, the river has noticeably widen a lot more. And the area has a lot more high rises than Nakameguro. But I think it’s still a worthwhile visit!
To enjoy the Sakura here, follow this direction: From Meguro station, go towards the west, to the direction of Hotel Gajoen. Walk past the hotel, and you should find yourself at the river.
⭐️ My rating: A-. Although not a secret spot, it feels more chill and organic than the part of Meguro River closer to Nakameguro station.
4. Shibuya station
If you’re visiting Tokyo, especially for the first time, there is a big chance your itinerary already includes something in Shibuya Station. Well, you’ll be happy to know that there are several Sakura varieties that can be found around Shibuya Station!
1. Meiji-dori
Head to Shibuya Stream, Exit C2 from Shibuya station (exact location here). You’ll find a bunch of Sakura trees along Meiji-dori (translated as Meiji street), one of the major streets in Tokyo. This street has the early blooming Sakura variety – I’m not sure exactly which one, probably the Yoko variety.
The color of these Sakura is a deeper pink, and I personally think they’re prettier than white-ish Someiyoshino. They might bloom as early as February to early march, a few weeks before the Someiyoshino ones.
In the photo above, I went about a week after the peak bloom for these Sakura varieties. As you can see, most of the petals had fallen off and green leaves already started to sprout. But I think it’s still beautiful.
2. Sakura-zaka (Sakura slope)
Look for さくら坂 in Google Maps (exact location here). You’ll find it right at the northern end of Shibuya Sakura Stage mall. This location is a short and slightly steep slope (hence the name) that runs downhill from south to north. It is one of the most popular place to see Sakura in Shibuya.
You can head to the street itself, but keep in mind it is an operating street and cars still go on it, so be mindful not to block traffic.
Or, at the northern end of the slope, you can cross over and walk up to the footbridge across the street for another angle of the slope from above. You can’t miss it, because there will be a lot of other photographer trying to get the same angle!
There is a night light up in this location as well, starting from 5PM to 11PM. It is part of Shibuya Sakuragaoka Matsuri, and it happens for a limited time only, so be sure to check the dates.
5. Yoyogi Park
Yoyogi Park is located about 10 minutes walk from Shibuya station. But I have to warn you, it’s a very popular place for Hanami, the day parties that centers around viewing of Sakura.
You can expect many young people to be here, with a blue tarp, some snacks and alcohol. It’s a vibe and could get kind of rowdy. But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re looking for lively areas!
⭐️ My rating: B, because it’s free and relatively well-managed. Goes without saying the location is so convenient if you don’t want to make Sakura-viewing the center of your itinerary.
6. Ueno Park
Ueno Park has several Sakura varieties – the most popular one will still be the Someiyoshino variety, but there are a few trees of the early-blooming varieties as well.
Like all other popular Sakura viewing, there is night light up at Ueno park too. Ueno is known for night life, so you bet the night light up will be quite lively.
⭐️ My rating: C. It’s one of the most popular place in Tokyo regardless of Sakura. If the weather is good and the flowers have bloomed, you can expect to be shoulder to shoulder with everyone else. The sakura is great but the crowd really is not great.
7. Meiji-dori between Hiro-o and Ebisu
If you go to Hiro-o station, walk slightly south and find Meiji-dori, then walk along Meiji-dori to the east towards Ebisu station, you’ll find that the entire road is lined up with Someiyoshino Sakura. It’s only a little over 1km long and about 15 minutes to walk.
There are a few pedestrian bridge you can take use of for photography. For example, the one below.
Both Hiro-o and Ebisu is a cute neighborhood full of nice cafes and bakery, so you can easily fit this into a nice chill itinerary in Tokyo.
⭐️ My rating: B, free and easy to fit into itinerary.
8. Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum in Meguro
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum is located within minutes walk from Meguro station. It’s the only location in this post that is not free. Yes, there is an entrance fee! This location has mostly the Someiyoshino variety, which will follow the national forecast.
Since it’s an art museum, it’s also worth checking out the exhibit in the main building. However, if it doesn’t interest you, you can just pay the 200 yen fee to enter the garden. Keep in mind the museum and the garden are both closed on Mondays.
⭐️ My rating: B+. There is a small fee to enter the garden and honestly not too many Sakura trees in relative to the other location, but the museum is relatively quiet and great to visit on its own.
9. Aoyama Cemetery
This is one of my favorite finds in my most recent visit to Tokyo. Who knew a cemetery would be a great place to view Sakura? It’s not a secret, you’ll find plenty of people having an afternoon walk at Aoyama Cemetery. I like it because it’s quiet.
⭐️ My rating: A-. Decently central location with many variations of Sakura. Not much crowd either.
Other Places in Tokyo Worth Checking Out
While I have been to some of these places, I haven’t been there during the Sakura season
- Inokashira Park in Kichijoji
- Koishikawa Botanical Garden in Bunkyo
- Sumida River Park in Asakusa
- Sakura Jingu in Sakura Shinmachi for early blooming Sakura
In Conclusion
You really don’t have to try hard to see Sakura in Tokyo when it’s the peak season. Neighborhood parks, polaygrounds, and yes, even cemeteries can sometimes have a nice Sakura tree.
But, if you want to see rows and rows of Sakura tree, or if you’re after a specific Sakura variety, you have go to the popular places. And definitely you will need to plan ahead for those, such as looking up whether the Sakura is in peak bloom or not, and arriving early in the morning when there are less crowds.
But if you ask me, I think the non-popular locations are just as nice!