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Hokkaido Sakura Spots
Generally known for its icy landscapes and delicious snow crab, did you know Hokkaido has something to offer for all seasons? The "sakura" (cherry blossom) season in Hokkaido usually runs from late April to early May and brings a wave of beautiful pink petals. Here are the top 3 places to have the perfect cherry blossom photo shoot in Hokkaido!
Best time to go: Late April to Early May
1. Maruyama Park
A beautiful sakura photo taken in Hokkaido — Photo by B'point photo
Located in Sapporo, Maruyama Park is home to the Hokkaido Shrine and Maruyama Zoo. The park has about 150 cherry blossom trees and is a popular picnic spot in the spring.
2. Nakajima Park
Raining cherry blossoms! — Photo by B'point photo
With cherry blossom trees sprinkled throughout the park, Nakajima is a popular "hanami" (flower viewing) spot for the spring season. The park, well known for its ponds, tea houses, and observatory, also offers many other activities for visitors.
3. Asahiyama Park
Under a cherry blossom tree — Photo by B'point photo
Asahiyama Park was first opened to celebrate Sapporo's 100 year anniversary back in 1970. Recommended for all ages, the park has a number of walkways for visitors to explore.
Kyoto Sakura Spots
The former capital of Japan, the city of Kyoto is packed full of beautiful traditional architecture as well as many gardens and temples to visit. Known as "the place to be" to see the most beautiful cherry blossoms, Kyoto has countless flower viewing spots. Here are the three most popular for your cherry blossom photo shoot:
Best time to go: Late March to Early April
1. Kyoto Botanical Garden
Catch me! — Photo by TAGAYA BRIDAL
With more than 500 cherry blossom trees, the Kyoto Botanical Garden is one of the most popular cherry blossom spots in Kyoto. The garden is also known to be one of the oldest gardens in Japan.
2. Kaege Incline
A dramatic photo under the cherry blossoms — Photo by elle pupa
Once used as a train line, this old railway is lined with beautiful cherry blossom trees and is one of the best places in Kyoto to enjoy them. It is a very popular photo spot for couples by virtue of its tranquil background which creates amazing photos.
3. Philosopher's Path
Forest of cherry blossoms — Photo by studio zero
Lined with numerous cherry blossom trees, this stone path is a popular spot in spring when the sakura are in full bloom. The Philosopher's walk, also known as the Philosopher's Path, is about 2 kilometers long and provides picturesque photo backgrounds for every season.
Nagoya Sakura Spots
Though often labeled the "most boring" place to visit in Japan, Nagoya offers many pretty locations for your engagement or pre wedding photo shoot. There are a number of picturesque parks and riversides for visitors to explore, and our top three are as follows.
Best time to go: Late March to Early April
1. Yamazakigawa Riverside
The Yamazakigawa riverside has hundreds of cherry blossom trees — Photo by WEDDING AVENUE
Hundreds of cherry blossoms line the "Path of Four Seasons", the famous path which follows the Yamazakigawa riverside.
2. Tsuruma Park
Many cherry blossoms in Tsuruma Park — Photo by WEDDING AVENUE
Housing about 1,200 cherry blossoms, Tsuruma Park in Nagoya is said to have a mix of both Japanese and Western style gardens. Each style has its own area of the park and makes for a lovely photo spot.
3. Nagoya Peace Park
Nagoya Peace Park has more than 2,500 cherry blossom trees — Photo by Studio 8
Though there are a number of memorials in the park, in the spring time Nagoya Peace Park is most well known for its cherry blossoms. With over 2,500 cherry blossom trees, the park is one of the most popular in Nagoya.
Nara Sakura Spots
As the old imperial capital of Japan, Nara has many national heritage sites for visitors to see. It is located just a few hours away from Kyoto and has many well known cherry blossoms spots just like its neighbor.
Best time to go: Late March to Early April
1. Nara Park
The most popular sakura spot in Nara, Nara Park — Photo by Kaoru Photography
First established in the 1300s, Nara Park is home to nearly 1200 wild, roaming deer, as well as hundreds of cherry blossom trees. Purchase a handful of deer crackers and the furry creatures will be sure to gather around you, making this a perfect photo spot for animal lovers.
2. Mt.Yoshino
Mt. Yoshino has more than 30,000 cherry blossom trees — Photo by Kaoru Photography
Take a walk through Mt. Yoshino and stare in amazement at the incredible 30,000 cherry blossom trees it has on display. There are plenty of photo spots to choose from and the mountain itself is a very fun visit for families and couples alike.
3. Mt. Wakakusa
You can also find deer and cherry blossoms at Mt. Wakakusa! — Photo by Kaoru Photography
Mt Wakakusa is famous for being an area mostly devoid of trees except for the cherry blossoms that line the path at the bottom of the mountain.
Shizuoka Sakura Spots
Located between Tokyo and Osaka, this little-known prefecture is actually very famous for a special type of cherry blossom rarely found in other areas of Japan. Known as "Kawazakura" or "Kawazu" cherry blossoms, these flowering trees grow in the Kawazu area and are renowned for their vibrant pink hues and early blooming schedule. Shizuoka is also home to Mt Fuji so you can take photos with two famous Japanese icons at once.
Best time to go: Late March to Early April
1. Hamamatsu Flower Park
The Hamamatsu park boasts more than 100,000 plants — Photo by Hiromichi Shimizu
This park in Shizuoka is more than 300,000 square meters and holds 100,000 plants of 3,000 varieties. The wide assortment of flowers blossoming at different times makes this a picturesque park to visit all year around.
2. Gotenyama
Also recommended as a light walking spot — Photo by La Chou-Choute
A very popular cherry blossom spot in the spring, Gotenyama boasts about 600 of the Yoshino cherry tree.
3. Ieyama Sakura Tunnel
The Ieyama Sakura Tunnel is a glorious photo back drop — Photo by GRAPHYS
Ieyama Sakura Tunnel boasts a little over 500 cherry blossom trees which form a beautiful tunnel along the road.
Tokyo Sakura Spots
The world famous city hardly needs any introduction. With millions of visitors every year, Tokyo is one of the most popular cities in Japan. Though mostly known for electric streets and busy crosswalks, the city that never sleeps has many sakura spots to offer. Here are the three most popular:
Best time to go: Late March to Early April
1. Shinjuku Gyoen National Park
There are several different types of gardens in Shinjuku Gyoen National Park — Photo by WEDDING PICTURES
Shinjuku Gyoen National Park, located in central Tokyo and just a few minutes from Shinjuku station, has several gardens each with their own unique style. The most notable features of the park are its English garden, French garden, and Japanese garden, but there are a number of smaller areas and rest houses for visitors to see.
2. Ueno Park
After you've seen the cherry blossoms, you can also visit the many temples and museums in the area! — Photo by KISA photography
With more than 1000 cherry blossom trees, Ueno Park is easily one of the most popular sakura viewing spots in Tokyo. There is no lack of photo spots from which to choose but due to its popularity the park can become quite crowded during the spring.
3. Yoyogi Park
Sweet sakura shot — Photo by ecoo
Located near Harajuku Station, Yoyogi Park is divided into three main areas - a conventional park area, an outdoor stage, and indoor stadium. The main park area is where you will find most visitors and it is most recommended for picnics and photos.