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Hanami Forecast for 2008
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Hanami revellers under the sakura in Tokyo's Ueno Park
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Sakura line the moat of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo |
Here are some of the most popular hanami spots around the country:
Tokyo
Ueno Park - One of Tokyo's biggest parks, it features more than 1,000 cherry trees as well
as the National Museum and Ueno Zoo. Entrance is free.
Shinjuku Gyoen - A large park with over 1,000 cherry trees of many different varieties. The
park has Western and Japanese style gardens. There is an entrance fee of ¥200, and the
park closes in the late afternoon.
Aoyama Bochi - This is a cemetery but not as morbid as it sounds! Hundreds of cherry trees line the straight
roads that run through the cemetery. It also has a foreigners' section if you don't make it out!
There is no entrance fee.
Chidorigafuchi/Yasukuni Jinja - Cherry trees line the moats around the Imperial Palace. The nearby
Yasukuni Jinja shrine has over 1,000 trees (and is dedicated to Japan's war dead). There is no
entrance fee.
Sumida Park - Near the tourist spot of asakusa, the park lines the Sumida River, the location of
Japan's biggest firework display every summer. There is no entrance fee.
Inokashira Park - In the western Tokyo suburb of Kichijoji, this popular public is built around a
large pond. Tere are often musicians and other street performers. There is no entrance fee.
Kyoto
Maruyama Park - Kyoto's most popular public park for hanami. There is no entrance fee.
Philosopher's Walk - A tree-lined trail that runs alongside a canal between Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion)
temple and the Nanzenji temple area of the vicinity of Nanzenji. Beautiful at any time of year. There is
no entrance fee.
Heian Shrine - The garden behind the main shrine building contains many shidarezakura (weeping cherry trees).
Entrance to the garden is ¥600.
Akita Prefecture
Kakunodate - This city is famous for its samurai district, which is full of shidarezakura
(weeping cherry trees). They also line the nearby river.
Aomori Prefecture
Hirosaki-jo castle - The grounds of this castle has over 2,000 cherry trees. There is no entrance fee.
Yokohama
Kamonyama Park - A small public park close to the futuristic waterfront development of Minato Mirai
21. There is no entrance fee.
Sankeien - A beautiful Japanese landscape garden in the south of the city, which contains several
historic buildings. There is an entrance fee of ¥300.
Kamakura
Dankazura - The approach to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrineis lined by cherry trees. There is no entrance fee.
Nagoya
Nagoya-jo castle - The castle provides a dramtic backdrop to the surrounding park, which has many cherry
trees. The entrance fee to the castle includes the park and is ¥500.
Himeji
Himeji-jo castle - Japan's most beautiful castle, known as the "white egret," forms the perfect backdrop
for the hundreds of cherry trees in the surrounding park. Entrance to the outer castle grounds is free.
Entrance to the inner grounds and the castle is ¥600.
The best time for hanami
Below are the dates for the 2008 hanami season, based on the latest data (March 18, shown below) from the Japan
Meteorological Agency for the someiyoshino type of cherry blossom, though blossoms seem to have been
opening a few days earlier. The "sakura front" is usually a regular
feature on news programs around this time of year and the best way to get the most
up-to-date information. The earliest recorded date for sakura to bloom in Tokyo was March 16, in 2002.
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Location
Akita
Aomori
Niigata
Tokyo
Nagoya
Kanazawa
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Estimated Opening
April 20
April 25
April 10
Opened March 22
Opened March 22
April 5
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Location
Kyoto
Osaka
Hiroshima
Fukuoka
Kagoshima
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Estimated Opening
Opened March 24
March 31
Opened March 25
Opened March 24
March 31
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