Let’s View Japan’s Beautiful Cherry Blossoms:
Visiting the Popular Sites of Tokyo and Kyoto

Probably many readers have heard it before: “The cherry blossoms of Japan are truly beautiful.”
As a special attraction of Japan in the spring, enjoying the cherry blossoms as they hold “flower-viewing” parties is standard procedure for Japanese people. Everybody celebrates and enjoys the blooming of the cherry blossoms together with the arrival of spring. The possibility of seeing this spectacle of cherry blossom viewing probably exists because Japan’s cherry blossoms are truly beautiful, and because that beauty is deeply carved in the hearts of the Japanese people.
Cherry trees can be widely seen all over Japan, and it is said that because the flowers bloom all at once for a fleeting moment in the spring, and are scattered in a period of less than two weeks, they leave behind a strong impression in people every year.
That shortness of the blooming period and the beauty of the flowers closely trace the impermanence of human life, which is repeated over and over again.
It can be said that cherry blossoms are inseparably bound up with Japanese people. It is to that extent that Japanese people love cherry blossoms.
How about actually trying to visit Japan in March and April when the cherry blossoms are blooming?
The beauty of the cherry blossoms goes without saying, and without a doubt you’ll see before your very eyes how much Japanese people love them.
When you visit Tokyo’s Ueno Park or Kyoto’s Arashiyama - places known as famous cherry blossoms sites - you can see Japanese people as they actually enjoy flower viewing.
What’s more, the people gathered there will number in the hundreds of thousands, so at first you might wonder if some famous person is about to give a concert. Unmistakably, however, they have not come to see the concert of someone famous: they are coming to view the cherry blossoms. These short-lived cherry blossoms are something people enjoy together with their friends, families, and lovers. Flower viewing is extremely meaningful for Japanese people. It is considered to be an event at which one can feel sheer happiness and joy.

Famous Cherry Blossom
Site #1 - Ueno Park, Tokyo
In Tokyo, the capital of Japan, there are places where riotous profusions of cherry blossoms exist. One of those is Ueno Park, adjacent to Ueno Station. By all means, this is a place to try to visit during the period when the cherry blossoms are blooming. It is a place where a number of cultural institutions are located such as the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the National Science Museum, and Ueno Zoo: it is an ideal spot for tourists.
Even though Tokyo has an image of high-rise buildings lining its skyline, these sorts of areas that are rich in natural beauty also exist.
Within this Ueno Park there is a tree-lined path of cherry blossom trees that go on forever, and when you are walking there it is exactly as if you were living in another world. The pink-colored flowers on the trees form a curtain, and the fallen flowers are like a carpet on the ground. You will likely feel as though you are in a dream world.
Cherry Blossom Famous
Site 2 – Arashiyama, Kyoto
Many famous cherry-blossom sites exist in Kyoto, which is Japan’s old capital and which has a very long history. It is said that cherry blossom viewing started among Kyoto’s aristocratic class in ancient times more than 1,200 years ago, and it is probably not an exaggeration to say that the model for Japan’s cherry blossom scenery was formed here in Kyoto.
Among a number of famous sites, the cherry blossom scenery at Kyoto’s Arashiyama is particularly famous.
It is located in an area somewhat apart from Kyoto’s urban districts, but it is an area where Japan’s beautiful scenery can be seen throughout the year, and is also an area with many tourists.
In contrast to Ueno Park, here it’s possible to enjoy the scenery of the cherry blossoms just as they were created by nature. It is in an area surrounded by beautiful mountains and rivers, and when visitors see the scene of a riot of cherry blossoms blooming all at once, their hearts will likely be moved by the grandeur and magnificence of nature.

Of course, visiting these kinds of famous sites for cherry blossoms, and mingling with others who are enjoying flower viewing is one way of doing it, but another recommended way is one in which you can find your own best spot. When you visit Japan during this period, it’s possible to see the scenery of beautiful cherry blossoms everywhere. Yes, truly anywhere - schools, hospitals, temples, parks, roads, rivers; in any case, wherever there is even a little natural scenery there are likely to be pink-colored cherry blossoms. Making your own ranking of where the most beautiful flowers are will probably be an enjoyable part of your visit to Japan during the cherry blossom season.


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