Cherry Blossom Season in Tokyo

There are roughly four days when Tokyo becomes the most beautiful city on earth. Then the petals fall, the parks empty, and everyone goes back to work.

That brevity is the whole point. Hanami — the tradition of gathering beneath blooming cherry trees to eat, drink, and mark the arrival of spring — is as much about the fleeting nature of the blossoms as it is about the blossoms themselves. The Japanese have a word for it: mono no aware, the bittersweet awareness that beautiful things don't last. Nowhere is this felt more keenly than under a canopy of sakura in late March or early April, petals drifting down like snow.

Tokyo's season typically runs from late March to early April, and each year the cherry blossom forecast is eagerly awaited and broadcast on national television — which tells you everything you need to know about how seriously the Japanese take this.

Shinjuku Gyoen is the finest hanami park in Tokyo, and it earns that reputation. Covering 58 hectares, it's home to around 1,100 cherry trees across 68 different varieties that bloom at slightly different times, extending the season and giving visitors more flexibility. It's calmer and more considered than Ueno — alcohol is not permitted, which keeps the atmosphere serene.

Ueno Park is the classic Tokyo hanami experience — around 800 trees, a full festival atmosphere with food and drink vendors, and an annual cherry blossom matsuri running through the season. Meguro River is the place for night viewing, with over 800 yoshino cherry trees lining several kilometres of the canal while Japanese lanterns cast a glow over the water.

Go on a weekday if you can — the parks on peak weekends are genuinely packed. Arrive early for the best spots. And if you miss the main bloom by a few days, don't worry: the sight of petals carpeting the ground is its own kind of beautiful.