I'll be in Osaka and Kyoto around that time too - and it seems like the best bet might be Mt. Yoshino (yoshinoyama) - which is about a 100 minute train ride from Kyoto (assuming you take the more expensive express train). Think we will just have to wait and see what things look like once we get there.

By the way - although Mt. Yoshino seems like it's a bit off the beaten path (it's not even mentioned in most of my US guidebooks) - it is one of the top - if not the top - cherry blossom viewing places in all of Japan. The area also has religious significance - and it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. So if the cherry blossoms are in bloom - I wouldn't expect to get away from the crowds by going there. In fact - I'd expect exactly the opposite. Robyn