Missed the cherry blossoms in Tokyo? (original) (raw)

If you arrived in Tokyo a couple of days or weeks too late for the cherry blossoms, don't give up yet. There are ways to enjoy the seasonal spectacle, after all:

Option 1: See late-flowering cherry tree varieties

There are more than a hundred cherry tree varieties in Japan. The large majority of trees bloom usually around late March and early April, but there are a few varieties that bloom several days or weeks earlier and later. While not as popular nor spectacular as the mainstream cherry trees, the later blooming varieties can still provide nice hanami conditions for several weeks beyond the end of the main season:

Option 2: Make a side trip

Due to its moderate maritime climate and wealth of heat-emitting concrete, central Tokyo is one of the first places in Japan to see the cherry blossoms open every year. But you do not have to travel far to places where the blossoms open several days or weeks after the trees in the center of Tokyo, such as the suburbs further inland or the higher elevations surrounding the capital. Below are a few places where you can see the blossoms in easy side trips:

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