Hanami Blitz: My Picks For The Best Cherry Blossoms In Tokyo!
Okay, hanami warriors, it’s time to charge up your camera batteries, sharpen your elbows, and strap on your subway card, because the cherry blossoms only last a couple of days, and you’ve got serious ground to cover if you’re going to take in all my favorite viewing spots! In the past three days, I’ve been charging around Tokyo with my camera, and here are the first results…
The classics:
SHINJUKU GYOUEN
Huge stroll garden with crowds to match.Go early if you can. Many gorgeous landscapes, and huge old cherry trees all over the place.
Admission: ¥200
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Picnics/alcohol: Yes picnics/No alcohol (and they’re serious: there’s a bag check before you enter, and they’ll confiscate any booze they find.)
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MEGURO RIVER, NAKAMEGURO
The cherry trees become a cathedral of pink goodness during The Season along the Meguro River (it’s actually more of a concrete canal these days, but no matter). Come during the day, and stay until nighttime, when they light the lanterns in the trees and sell beer and food along the sidewalk.
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open
Picnics/alcohol: Yes picnics/Yes alcohol
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CHIDORIGAFUCHI IMPERIAL PALACE MOAT, KUDANSHITA
This isn’t a place to stop and sit and picnic, but it’s a beautiful walk and the sheer size of the cherry spectacle is worth a trip. Lit up at night, it’s spectacular.
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open
Picnics/alcohol: No picnics/Yes alcohol
•
YOYOGI PARK, HARAJUKU
Load up on beer & snacks and don your pink spandex cherry blossom costume and get thee to Yoyogi Park. On the weekends it’s wall to wall blue tarps, but on the weekdays it’s quiet and beautiful.
Admission: Free
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Picnics/alcohol: Yes picnics/Yes alcohol
•
SUMIDA RIVER PARK, ASAKUSA
If the weather is good, this is a nice place to walk. There are food and drink stands along the way too.
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open
Picnics/alcohol: No picnics/Yes alcohol
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MOAT OUTSIDE IMPERIAL PALACE EAST GARDEN, OTEMACHI
I find the garden itself pretty underwhelming (and it doesn’t have many cherry trees) but the moat near Otemachi station has swans and some lovely specimen trees for your picture-taking enjoyment.
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open
Picnics/alcohol: No picnics/No alcohol
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Don’t miss:
RIKUGI-EN GARDEN, KOMAGOME
This is one of my favorite gardens in Tokyo in any season, but if you come at the beginning of cherry blossom season, you can see their famous weeping cherry tree in bloom. It’s worth a trip, just for that. For one week, the garden is also open at night until 9:00, with the trees all lit up.
Admission: ¥300
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Picnics/alcohol: No picnics/No alcohol
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KORAKU-EN GARDEN, KORAKUEN
My absolute favorite garden in Tokyo in any season, and although they don’t have a ton of cherry trees, the ones they have are set in such lovely gardens, you’ll definitely be glad you came.
Admission: ¥300
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Picnics/alcohol: No picnics/No alcohol
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My secret viewing spots:
DENPO-IN TEMPLE GARDEN, ASAKUSA
This garden is seldom open to the public, but they open it during cherry blossom season. It’s not big, but it’s gorgeous. They have two fantastic weeping cherry trees that do not disappoint.
Admission: ¥300
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Picnics/alcohol: No picnics/No alcohol
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MONZEN NAKACHO
The river that runs through this traditional neighborhood is lined with amazing cherry trees, and they’re lit up at night too, until 9:00!
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open
Picnics/alcohol: Yes picnics/Yes alcohol
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CHERRY BLOSSOM PROMENADE, ASAKUSA
This jewel of a street has a stream running down the middle of it (although it doesn’t always have water in it) and during cherry blossom season it becomes a bower of white. This is a great place to bring your lunch and rest your feet, in the middle of Asakusa.
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open
Picnics/alcohol: Yes picnics/Yes alcohol
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SUMIDA RIVER PARK, ASAKUSA
Just across the bridge from Asakusa on the way to Skytree is a lovely garden that is packed with cherry trees and nice strolling paths.
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open
Picnics/alcohol: Yes picnics/Yes alcohol
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Jonelle Patrick View All
Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!
Jonelle Patrick's Only In Japan 
Meguro river has always been one of my favorites, but it’s gotten so popular you can barely maneuver. Little known tip: if you cross Yamatedori heading toward Ikejiri, it’s a lot less crowded. I once saw a full moon there, directly above the river and perfectly framed with blossoms. Breathtaking.
I’m going to check that out tomorrow night, whether it’s raining or not! Thanks for the tip!
Beautiful!
Arigato! These places are so lovely, you couldn’t take a bad picture if you tried!
Lovely. Here’s one of ours: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Waterfront_Park,_Portland.jpg
Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing – I never get tired of looking at cherry trees, and Portland has a lovely selection!