The Best SECRET Cherry Blossom Spots In Tokyo!
Cherry blossoms and crowds go together like long bathroom lines and hanami parties, but at these secret Tokyo spots, you can enjoy the pinkness without getting trampled, even at peak season! Here are my favorite places:
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ARK HILLS
New for 2019!


Best time to go: It’s pretty uncrowded all the time but it’s best when the lanterns are lit at twilight (from 17:00)
Admission: Free
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MONZEN-NAKACHO




Best time to go: It’s uncrowded all the time (weekend days are busiest), but I like it best when the lanterns are lit at twilight.
Admission: Free
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ASAKUSA CHERRY TREE PROMENADE


Best time to go: It’s always uncrowded, but because there are so few nice places to bring a lunch and eat outside in Tokyo, I like to buy take-out somewhere in Asakusa and bring my lunch here to eat it.
Admission: Free
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DENPO-IN GARDEN




Best time to go: Early morning is the most uncrowded and serene time to see this garden. If you can get there at 9:00, it will just be you and the most fanatical of cameramen.
Admission: ¥300
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SUMIDA RIVER PARK



Best time to go: Nice any time of day, less crowded in the mornings. People bring picnic lunches here to eat.
Admission: Free
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SHINGASHI RIVER in Kawagoe
This town is just a twenty minute express train ride from Shinjuku Station, but the trees lining its little river are really worth seeing, plus it’s got a charming shopping street filled with traditional buildings that sell nice stuff.





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If you don’t mind sharing the pink fluffiness with lots of other flower aficionados, there are plenty more spectacular places to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo. Here are the best cherry blossom spots in Tokyo.

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Of course, true cherry blossom warriors know that viewing doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Here are the best places to see cherry blossoms lit up at night.

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And here’s where to find the cherry trees in each garden and map links to all the locations
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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!