{"id":4053,"date":"2026-01-19T20:00:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T03:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=4053"},"modified":"2026-01-19T20:00:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T03:00:16","slug":"japan-releases-first-official-sakura-cherry-blossom-forecast-for-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=4053","title":{"rendered":"Japan releases first official sakura cherry blossom forecast for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The best dates to plan your hanami flower-viewing trips and the top spots to see them this spring<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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One of the many joys of winter in Japan is actually the knowledge that every passing day is inching us closer to spring, which means it\u2019s time to prepare for\u00a0 the arrival of sakura cherry blossom season<\/strong>. Here to help us with our planning is Japanese weather forecasting company Weathernews<\/strong>, who releases its first cherry blossom forecast every January<\/strong>, and this year, it\u2019s predicting that Tokyo<\/strong> will lead the way, followed by other sites around the country.<\/p>\n

Using weather and temperature data, and over 2 million reports sent in by participants of the \u201cSakura Project\u201d, a nationwide record of observations now in its 20th year, Weathernews has long been a trusted source for predicting the blooming period of the Somei-Yoshino cherry blossoms, the country\u2019s most ubiquitous variety.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

So let\u2019s take a look at the first sakura forecast of the year, starting with the predicted start date in Japan\u2019s main cities.<\/p>\n

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The dates above are:<\/p>\n

Akita<\/strong>: 12 April
\nAomori<\/strong>: 17 April
\nFukuoka<\/strong>: 23 March
\nHiroshima<\/strong>: 25 March
\nKagoshima<\/strong>: 26 March
\nKanazawa<\/strong>: 31 March
\nKochi<\/strong>: 24 March
\nKushiro<\/strong>: 7 May
\nNagano<\/strong>: 8 April
\nNagoya<\/strong>: 23 March
\nNiigata<\/strong>: 5 April
\nOsaka<\/strong>: 27 March
\nSapporo<\/strong>: 25 April
\nSendai<\/strong>: 4 April
\nTokyo<\/strong>: 21 March<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, the dates listed are mostly close to the yearly average or only one to four days earlier \u2013 a notable departure from the 2024 forecast<\/strong><\/a>, which had most sites flowering 5-14 days earlier than usual. According to Weathernews, this year\u2019s near-average start date is due to temperatures in March being relatively normal for most of the country, with cold fluctuations just before flowering set to stall bud growth and prevent early blooms, in line with last year\u2019s season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Temperatures in northern Japan are expected to be slightly higher than average, with more sunny days bringing slightly earlier-than-usual start dates. The first site for the blooms, however, is set to be Tokyo<\/strong>, where the blossoms are predicted to appear on 21 March, and although Kyoto is missing from the image above, sakura season is set to begin there on 25 March, with Arashiyama, home to Kyoto\u2019s famous bamboo grove, due to follow several days later, on 28 March.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at the blossoming start dates for some of the most famous sakura sites around the country<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The sites listed above are:<\/p>\n