Spring 春

The shrine built over the grave of Sugawara no Michizane, the exiled scholar worshipped as Tenjin, whose flower is the plum: about 6,000 trees of 200 varieties flower in the grounds from late January to early March. The first to open is the Tobiume to the right of the main hall, the tree said to have flown from Kyoto in one night to follow him. The main hall reopened for worship in September 2026 after a restoration of three and a half years, its first in 124 years, and 2027 brings the grand festival held once in 25 years, 1,125 years after his death; its dates are not published yet.

Dates

25 JAN – 10 MAR

Where

FukuokaGoogle Maps

Open

Gates open 6:30 from the autumn equinox and 6:00 from the spring equinox · close 18:30 Dec–Mar, 19:00 Apr–May and Sep–Nov, 19:30 Jun–Aug · free

Survive

Heavy. January and February are exam season, and Tenjin is the god of learning: at weekends the approach is packed from the station to the hall. Come at gate opening, 6:30 in winter, and see the plums before the crowd arrives.

Holidays

National Foundation Day, Emperor's Birthday · long weekend: expect full trains and hotels

Access

Nishitetsu from Fukuoka (Tenjin) with a change at Futsukaichi, about 35 min, then 5 min on foot from Dazaifu Stn. The direct bus Tabito takes about 45 min from Hakata Bus Terminal and about 25 min from the international terminal of Fukuoka Airport.

Heritage

Important Cultural Property · main hall, 1907 太宰府天満宮本殿 重要文化財

Source

Official site · checked 2026-09-20

Photos

3 photos · credits

1. そらみみ · CC BY-SA 4.0
2. 酒呑みおやぢ · CC BY-SA 3.0
3. そらみみ · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Sea of Okhotsk is the southernmost sea in the northern hemisphere to freeze: ice born off the Amur estuary drifts about a thousand kilometres south and reaches this coast around the start of February. The icebreaker Aurora rides up onto the floes and breaks them under its own weight, on a cruise of about an hour.

Dates

04 FEB – 15 MAR

Where

HokkaidoGoogle Maps

Open

Sails daily 20 Jan – 31 Mar, three to five departures between 9:00 and 15:30, about 1 h · ¥7,000, children ¥3,500 at last season’s fares; 2027 fares not yet posted

Survive

Wind can push the ice offshore overnight, so allow two days. The normal dates for 1991–2020 are 22 Jan for the first ice on the horizon and 4 Feb for ice at the shore. A sailing with 15 bookings or fewer may be cancelled: reserve ahead.

Holidays

National Foundation Day, Emperor's Birthday · long weekend: expect full trains and hotels

Access

The Aurora sails from the Ryuhyo Kaido Abashiri roadside station, 10 min by bus from JR Abashiri Stn.

Source

Official siteSnow page · checked 2026-09-19

Photos

2 photos · credits

1. kkawamura · CC BY 4.0
2. Lkj12344321 · CC BY-SA 4.0

A former imperial garden of 58 hectares in the middle of Shinjuku, with about 900 cherry trees of some 70 varieties, so the season runs long: early kanzakura from February, Somei-yoshino from late March, then the double-flowered yaezakura into mid-April on the wide lawns of the English garden. Tokyo’s normal first flowering is 24 March, full bloom 31 March.

Dates

24 MAR – 20 APR

Where

TokyoGoogle Maps

Open

9:00–18:00 from 15 March, last entry 17:30; 9:00–16:30 from October to mid-March · ¥500, over-65s and students ¥250, children free · closed Mondays except 25 March – 24 April, and 29 December – 3 January

Survive

Heavy. No alcohol and no bicycles inside, and the gates may switch to advance booking at weekends in the cherry weeks. Go on a weekday at the 9:00 opening; the yaezakura of mid-April draw half the crowd of the Somei-yoshino.

Access

Shinjuku Gate is 5 min from Shinjuku-gyoemmae Stn on the Marunouchi line and 10 min from JR Shinjuku Stn; Sendagaya Gate is 5 min from JR Sendagaya Stn.

Source

Official siteCherry blossom page · checked 2026-09-24

Photos

2 photos · credits

1. Raita Futo · CC BY 2.0
2. Kakidai · CC BY-SA 4.0

1,500 Takato-kohigan cherry trees — a variety that grows only here, with smaller and markedly pinker flowers than the usual Somei-yoshino. The park sits on the ruins of the castle of the Takato clan, vassals of the Takeda.

Dates

05–20 APR

Where

NaganoGoogle Maps

Open

Open at all hours · ¥600 during the cherry festival, ¥1,000 on the two busiest days, paid entry only while the trees are in flower; free the rest of the year, autumn included

Survive

Opens at 06:00 specifically because of the crowds. After 10:00 there are queues for both the entrance and the car park. Admission is charged only in season.

Access

JR Ina-shi Stn, then 25 min by bus. Direct buses run from Shinjuku during the blossom season.

Heritage

Historic Site · Takato Castle ruins, 1973 高遠城跡 史跡

Source

Official siteCherry blossom page · checked 2026-09-22

Photos

4 photos · credits

1. MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0
2. 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0
3. Ina City Tourism Association · ⓒ伊那市観光協会
4. Ina City Tourism Association · ⓒ伊那市観光協会

The last cherry blossom in the city. The Omuro cherries, about 200 trees, most of a variety called Omuro-ariake, grow only about two metres tall, so the blossom hangs at eye level with the five-storey pagoda behind it. They reach full bloom in mid-April, after the rest of Kyoto has finished.

Dates

08–20 APR

Where

KyotoGoogle Maps

Open

9:00–17:00 March to November, last entry 16:30; 9:00–16:30 December to February, last entry 16:00 · Goten garden ¥800, students free · during the flower festival a special admission of ¥800, students free

Survive

Heavy. During the Omuro flower festival, 27 March – 6 May in 2026, the grounds charge ¥800; high school students and younger are free. Mid-April weekends queue at the gate from opening.

Access

Randen tram to Omuro-Ninnaji, 3 min on foot; or city bus 26 from Kyoto Stn, about 40 min.

Heritage

World Heritage · Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, 1994 古都京都の文化財 世界遺産National Treasure · Kondo hall 仁和寺金堂 国宝

Source

Official siteCherry blossom page · checked 2026-09-20

Photos

2 photos · credits

1. Bergmann · CC BY 3.0
2. KimonBerlin · CC BY-SA 2.0