Sakura season is short, moves north over a few weeks, and shifts a little every year. Here's how to give yourself the best chance of catching full bloom.
Few things in travel are as fleeting, or as worth chasing, as cherry blossom. 'Full bloom', mankai, lasts only about a week at any one spot, and the exact dates shift with whatever winter came before. A little strategy goes a long way here.
The blossom front moves north
The blossom opens first in the warm south and rolls north over several weeks. In Japan that usually means late March in Tokyo and Kyoto, and early-to-mid April further north. In Korea, Busan and Jeju bloom first, around late March, Seoul a little after in early April, with the famous Jinhae festival somewhere in between. If your dates are fixed, choosing the right latitude matters more than picking the exact day.
Give yourself a buffer
Because the forecasts only firm up a few weeks out, the safest approach is a trip that spans a few cities at different latitudes. If one has just dropped its petals, the next may be peaking. Book early, too. Spring is the busiest season and the good hotels go quickly.
Our Korea and Japan spring itineraries are built to move with the blossom front. Ask us about this year's forecast when you start planning.
