First of all, what kind of cherry blossoms do you want to see?
They bloom in four waves of different varieties, starting in mid-March with the dark pink kanzakura…
then the weeping varieties bloom from mid-March to the end of the month.
The classic pale pink somei yoshino variety imitate pink clouds during peak cherry blossom season, from around Mar 25 to April 3…
then clusters of the late-blooming “double” varieties flower between April 8 and 15.
Great places with early-blooming AND late blooming varieties
These places will have some sort of cherry tree in bloom from mid-Mar to mid-Apr.
IMPERIAL PALACE AREA
First to bloom are the rare varieties of cherry trees that border the sidewalk surrounding the Imperial Palace…
but most spectacular is this wave of gigantic pink somei yoshino trees that lines the Imperial Palace Moat as you walk from Kudanshita Station toward the Chidorigafuchi Boat Pier along the top of the levee.
The moat trees are lit up at night until 22:00 during cherry blossom season
There’s even a view of Tokyo Tower!
Inside the Imperial Palace walls, the early and late-blooming trees at the Ni-no-Maru Garden grow beside a nice reflecting pond…
and choice pink yaezakura cascade over the tea bushes in the upper East Garden (past Ni-no-Maru, up the big ramp).
The late-blooming trees also put on a glorious show at the end of the moat closer to Hanzomon Station (by the boat ramp), after the somei yoshino are finished.
and there’s a lovely cluster of yaezakura outside the moat near Takebashi Station.
Imperial Palace Moat & Gardens
Admission: Free
Hours:
Inside the palace gates: 9:00 – 17:00, closed Fridays
Outside the gates: Always open; the nighttime light-up stays on until 22:00
Picnics/alcohol:
Inside palace gates: No picnics/No alcohol
Outside palace gates: Yes picnics/Yes alcohol
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SHINJUKU GYŌEN NATIONAL GARDEN
This garden is brimming with cherry trees that bloom from the very beginning of the season to the very end. It starts with the dark pink early-bloomers, before the lawn even begins to green…
then the weeping cherry trees come into their own.
The classic somei yoshino variety bloom after that, inviting visitors to stroll down the central lawn…
and admire their reflections in the big pond.
After the classic clouds of pink drop their petals, the double yaezakura burst forth
like pink princesses all over the garden.
If you’re planning to visit Shinjuku Gyōen during peak cherry blossom season, you’ll need to book your tickets and time in advance. Here’s where to do that, and how to get in if they’re all sold out.
Shinjuku Gyōen National Garden
Admission: ¥500
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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SHOWA KINEN PARK
This park isn’t in central Tokyo, but it’s worth the trip out to Tachikawa Station because there are so many fantastic (and enormous!) trees, blooming throughout the season. Also, the trees here bloom about a week later because it’s away from the central Tokyo heat island, so if you think you missed the cherry blossoms, you might still catch some here!
Showa Kinen is very family-friendly. It’s a wonderful place for a picnic, and is so much less crowded than the other cherry blossom spots.
Sometimes the staff sets up fun photo opportunities among the trees…
and they manage the surrounding plantings so there are “Oh WOW!” moments around every bend.
At the beginning of the classic somei yoshino bloom (around the first week in April), you might get a peek at the tail end of the daffodils…
and the beginning of the tulips.
And if you arrive too late to see the pink clouds <sob!>, at least you might catch sight of an excellent pink river of fallen petals!
Showa Kinen Park
Admission: Adult: ¥450; Children: Free
Hours: 9:30 – 17:00
Picnics/alcohol: Picnics: Yes; Alcohol: Yes
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ROPPONGI HILLS MOHRI GARDEN & HINOKICHO PARK
The Mohri Garden at Roppongi Hills is small, but it’s an excellent place to get a little cherry blossom snack during somei yoshino season…
whether you’re taking a break from a shopping spree…
or on your way out for a night on the town…
it’s hard to beat the pinkness with Tokyo Tower waving in the background!
Just a short walk away, the boulevard next to Tokyo Midtown is lit up at night with enhanced pinkness…
At the end of that row of cherry trees is Hinokicho Park, with its many walking paths and shady benches…
a restful guest house…
that hides behind a profusion of late-blooming cherry trees from early to mid-April.
Mohri Garden
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open
Picnics/alcohol: Picnics: No; Alcohol: No
Hinokicho Park
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open
Picnics/alcohol: Picnics: Yes/Alcohol: Yes
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TAMA FOREST SCIENCE GARDEN
This the best kept cherry blossom secret in Tokyo—it’s a fabulous preserve where seventy-two types of rare heirloom cherry trees grow wild. They range from the earliest blooming types to the very latest. (You can find a detailed list of bloom times here.)
It’s a bit of a journey to Tama Station, but if you’d rather hike in solitary splendor than battle the crowds, and prefer natural specimens to pruned perfection, this is a must-see.
The trees here are huge. Check out the tiny hiker on the trail below:
Tama Forest Science Garden
Admission: Adult: ¥450; Children: Free
Hours: 9:30 – 15:30 (except in April they open at 9:00), closed Mondays
Picnics/alcohol: Picnics: Yes; Alcohol: Yes
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ASUKAYAMA PARK & OTONASHI WATER PARK
You seldom see tourists at this wonderful northwest Tokyo park. Cherry blossoms transform the beautifully landscaped plaza into a pink wonderland around the first week in April (beautiful even in the rain!)…
and lanterns strung through the trees invite everyone to enjoy themselves at hanami parties in the evening.
Right across the street is one of my favorite hidden parks of Tokyo: the Otonashi Water Park. The blooming cherry trees overhanging this artfully-landscaped sunken garden…
are also lit up at night.
And if you’re there during the second weekend in April, that’s when the late-bloomers at Asukayama Park put on a show. There are interesting varieties lining the walkways near the playground on the upper level.
Asukayama Park and Otonashi Water Park
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open; lit up at night during cherry blossom season until 21:00
Picnics/alcohol: Yes picnics/Yes alcohol
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Great places to see during peak cherry blossom season
These spots are spectacular from around Mar 25 – Apr 3, and they’re well worth a visit if you’re in Tokyo then.
ASAKUSA AREA
Sumida Park (across the river from Asakusa Station) is one of the most famous places to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo.
The walkways along the river are lined with food booths and plenty crowded, but people often miss the nice part of the park until they turn inland on their way to Skytree.
If Skytree is your thing, this is the place to whip out your camera.
Asakusa Area
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open and lit up at night until 22:00
Picnics/alcohol: Yes picnics/Yes alcohol
And right in the heart of Senso-ji temple is one of my favorite secret gardens. Usually reserved for the enjoyment of the monks, Denbo-in is only open to the public during cherry blossom season.
This jewel of a garden is a little oasis amid the bustle of Tokyo’s biggest temple, and a wonderful place to see gorgeous weeping cherry trees alongside that iconic red pagoda.
Denbo-in Garden
Garden admission: ¥300
Hours: 10:00 – 16:00,
Picnics/alcohol: No picnics/No alcohol
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MEGURO RIVER
Across the street from Nakameguro Station, the Meguro River becomes an amazing tunnel o’ bloom during cherry blossom season…
and it’s lit up at night, with lots of food and drink stands along the roads that border it.
Meguro River
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open, lit up at night until 21:00 during cherry blossom season
Picnics/alcohol: No picnics/Yes alcohol
One small warning about this place: They trimmed the trees really drastically a couple of years ago, so they don’t quite meet in the middle like this anymore. And Nakameguro has become so crowded during The Season, they now forbid stopping to take pictures from the bridges closest to the station. Hanami parties (sitting down to eat and drink) are also banned.
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YOYOGI PARK
Yoyogi Park is a splendid place to see cherry blossoms…
with many places to sit and picnic beneath the fluffy trees…
which is why it looks more like this on weekends during cherry blossom season!
Crowded though it is, it’s still the best place to witness the phenomenon of hanami parties, crazy skits and all.
Yoyogi Park
Admission: Free
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Picnics/alcohol: Yes picnics/Yes alcohol
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RIKUGI-EN GARDEN
There are other pink trees dotted around this fab garden, but this is the one everyone comes to see.
The trees are lit up at night during The Season, and the garden is open until 21:00.
Rikugi-en Garden
Admission: ¥300
Hours: 9:00 – 21:00 during cherry blossom season
Picnics/alcohol: No picnics/No alcohol
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MONZEN-NAKACHO AREA
This spot is most spectacular at dusk, when lanterns line the path along the canal near Monzen Nakacho station.
During the day, you can get amazing pictures from the bridges that criss-cross the water…
and walk on this lovely (and deserted!) path
Monzen-Nakacho Area
Admission: Free
Hours: Always open, lit up at night until 21:00
Picnics/alcohol: No picnics/No alcohol
You may also want to check out:
The best cherry blossoms lit up at night
My favorite SECRET cherry blossom spots
And now that you know where to find all the grand cherry blossom displays, here’s the secret all locals know about finding the best cherry blossoms in Tokyo.
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And if you know someone who’s planning a Japan trip, here are all the places I take my friends when they come to town…
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Only In Japan 
Absolutely beautiful!
Thank you, my friend! （＾Ｏ＾☆♪ How are you doing these days?
Pretty good now that we live in Oregon. Loving it here in the High Desert. Country life is for me. Had enough city to last me a couple lives, 🙂
Very nice-thank you! I know what I’ll be doing over the next couple of weeks.
I’m SO envious. I thought I’d be OK with going back to SF before The Season starts (as if I need a thousand more pictures of sakura!), but now that everyone is posting pix of fruffy pink things all over my FB, I’m sad! ( ; _ ; )
And here I thought you were going to talk about Kanamara Matsuri. 😛 I went! Pictures are on my Instagram. 😀
You beat me to it, arg, eek, I mean, I was invited last year, but couldn’t come, no, wait, that’s not what I meant…see why I can’t write about that particular festival???! But I bet you can! How was it?
Please don’t tell anyone I’m not an instragrammer, (so not-21st century) but I’d definitely go over there to see your pix! How do I find you?
My Instagram account is here: https://www.instagram.com/mlsterben/
Rather than go into great detail here, I’m going to break my six month silence and post a new blag!
I scampered right over there first thing, and quite the enjoyable read it is! Of course, now I’m disappointed you don’t write MORE (because NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED)
JUST SAYIN
I thought about writing a more in-depth piece, but so many people have covered it so much I didn’t want to be redundant. Plus, my sister has been scolding me for posting all these pictures on Instagram, so I wanted to take a “be more understanding of foreign culture” stance. 😛
Oh, I think you’re being VERY understanding LOL