It’s still difficult to travel around Japan, but cherry blossoms can be enjoyed in many ways! By JAPAN Forward

Everyone loves cherry blossoms in Japan, and tropes of delicate petals falling like snow in the spring breeze have been portrayed in art, anime, and literature for hundreds of years. They have captured the imagination of people in Japan, and all over the world.

But how much do you know about the elusive beautiful pink flowers?

PR Times published a survey conducted by Hankyu Travel over a week in December 2021, asking Japanese several questions about cherry blossoms. Some of the answers from the 554 respondents might surprise you.

Most people don’t travel to admire cherry blossoms. Out of the respondents, 64.4% said they had not traveled out of their way to see sakura blossoms. However, 30.9% said they had.

It makes sense in an age when many people are working, and March often coincides with busy periods in people’s lives — for example, the end of the financial year, preparations for starting new jobs on April 1, and the transition between schools.

Many foreign travelers who purposefully come to Japan to photograph the ethereal flowers might be very jealous, though!

Those who do travel to see the sakura go to… Those who are able to travel within Japan to see the cherry blossoms often pick the most popular destinations nationwide, including Kyoto, Kawazu, and Hirosaki.

Within well-loved destinations in Kyoto, in the Kansai region, there are of course places such as Maruyama Park and Arashiyama. The latter is also famous for its bamboo forest.

Kawazu, located on the Izu peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, is a favorite destination due to its local variety of cherry blossoms, which are a bright shade of pink.

There is also Hirosaki — a lot further north, in Aomori Prefecture. A possible reason for the popularity of Aomori’s offerings is the fact that cherry blossom season in this part of Japan tends to coincide with the long holiday of Golden Week, which encompasses the end of April and the first week of May.

Hirosaki Castle Park boasts over 2,600 cherry blossoms of the Somei Yoshino variety, the most ubiquitous cherry flower and one which is almost white with a pale tinge of pink.

It is said that the trees in Hirosaki are pruned using a technique used for the apple trees, which are famous in the area, and therefore the blooming season is particularly beautiful on these trees.