Now for the important question ... Cherry Blossoms...
 

Hi All,

I'm planning to be in Tokyo in the early spring of 2006 and I would like to time my trip to have a chance of seeing the famous cherry blossoms. Based on the searches that I've done here I'm thinking that my best bet will be sometime during the first week of April. I realize that the time is different every year and that no one here can predict the future, but does this sound reasonable?

I'm looking at either the weekend of 4/1 or the weekend of 4/8 ... any guesses on which one might be better?

This far out it really is a crapshoot. There are websites that predict the appearance of sakura blossoms by region, but I doubt they will start posting until March.

That said, I will go out on a limb and say 4/1 for Kyoto/Osaka/Kansai area and 4/8 for Tokyo.

ALL: Maybe we should start a pool. :D

JR

Oooh, tricky tricky one this.
I have tried a couple of times to catch the sakura in bloom - both times I have failed completely (just caught site of a rogue late plum blossom instead).
It's getting earlier and earlier every year, your best bet is probably the last week in March - (EDIT: removed).

Out of what you've said, I'd go for the earlier of the dates you've suggested and make sure you have a JR pass so you can travel south, or more likely north as necessary (I'm sure you'd catch them north of Honshu or Hokkaido - or in the moutains - if you miss them in Tokyo).
Bear in mind that this year the sakura were in bloom for... about a day in Tokyo. The petals unfurled and then the rain and wind came, stripped them from the trees and flattened them into a soggy mulch. The cherry blossom viewing parties were a complete non event for many tokyo-ites.

There is a meteorological website that charts the progress of the sakura and predicts the dates - http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/menu.html. You'll have to wait until the Spring before you can get any information out of it.

Avoid Ueno park unless you want to see the sordid truth of what office parties are really like - from all accounts it's blossoms, karaoke machines, blue tarpaulin, beer, vomit, pigeon crap and lots and lots and lots of people.

So my question for the Japan/Tokyo forum is: where IS the best place to see sakura?

Last year (2004) the first week of April was spot-on perfect. We were in Kyoto for 4 days and had the height of the sakura season, then went to Tokyo for a couple of days and again, caught it just right. I wish I could take credit for perfect planning, but in reality we set the trip based on my nieces' spring break. :)

In Kyoto, the Imperial Palace has plenty of cherry trees but was mobbed every day, as was the Heian Shrine. Ryoan-ji was nice around the pond, but my favorite places for sakura were the grounds of Nijo Castle (north side) and the edge of Maruyama Park along the pedestrian promenade of NeNe-no-michi.

In Tokyo, we avoided most of the big gathering places, but found a spectacular sakura display around the lake in Hama Rikyu detached garden.

JR

Yeah, it travels north through the country, so be flexible in where you're going, and be prepared to travel to chase it. I think first week of April sounds about right, but as others have pointed out -- it's hard to predict exactly when.

Tokyo typically sees blossoms in the last week of March/first week of April. It usually last for about one week. Rain can ruin it early. I think Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture, is the season is early May.

As for places in Tokyo, my favorite are Aoyama Bochi (cemetary) -- people have midnight parites under these trees there -- and Chidorigafuchi area separated from the Imperial Palace by a moat. But lots of other places are there like Shinjuku Gyoen park (for a nomial admission fee), and Inogashira Park in Kichijoji, where some crazy drunken people jump into a pond there. People here usually use blossoms for an excuse to party.

If you're looking for a place off the proverbial beaten track, try Kakunodate in the Tohoku (northern Japan) region. It's Tohoku's premier cherry blossom spot -- famous for the Hinokinai River, which is lined on both sides with the most gorgeous cherry trees you've ever seen. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on what you like), Golden week (late April/early May) is one of the best times to go. See http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3601.html and http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3600.html for great pictures and more info.

Kakunodate is also famous for its samurai district and for a wonderfully delicious sugar candy, the name of which escapes me at the moment...