This year, cherry blossoms in the Kanto region and westward are expected to bloom around the average time or slightly earlier, while in northern Japan, the blooming is likely to be early. Due to the recent temperatures not being as high as expected and the effects of the cold snap this week, the blooming dates in areas close to blooming are now predicted to be later than previously forecasted.
February saw quite a few warm days, but there was a prolonged return to colder temperatures towards the beginning of March. Mid-March warmed up, but not as much as expected, so areas close to their blooming dates are expected to be slightly delayed. However, temperatures in April are forecasted to be higher, with the northern part of Tohoku and Hokkaido likely to experience earlier blooming than usual.
(Updated Mar 18, 2024)
Note: Detailed forecast is only available in Japanese.
Kanto/Koshin | ||
Cities | First bloom | Full bloom |
Mito | 3/26 | 4/2 |
Utsunomiya | 3/26 | 4/1 |
Maebashi | 3/26 | 4/1 |
Kumagaya | 3/24 | 3/31 |
Tokyo | 3/24 | 4/2 |
Choshi | 3/31 | 4/4 |
Yokohama | 3/24 | 4/3 |
Nagano | 4/6 | 4/10 |
Kofu | 3/25 | 4/1 |
Tokai/Hokuriku | ||
Cities | First bloom | Full bloom |
Shizuoka | 3/29 | 4/6 |
Nagoya | 3/22 | 4/1 |
Gifu | 3/22 | 3/31 |
Tsu | 3/25 | 3/30 |
Niigata | 4/4 | 4/9 |
Toyama | 3/30 | 4/3 |
Kanazawa | 3/28 | 4/2 |
Fukui | 3/28 | 4/2 |
Kinki | ||
Cities | First bloom | Full bloom |
Hikone | 3/28 | 4/3 |
Kyoto | 3/24 | 3/30 |
Osaka | 3/25 | 4/2 |
Kobe | 3/27 | 4/4 |
Nara | 3/26 | 4/1 |
Wakayama | 3/24 | 3/31 |
Chugoku/Shikoku | ||
Cities | First bloom | Full bloom |
Okayama | 3/26 | 4/2 |
Hiroshima | 3/22 | 3/31 |
Matsue | 3/24 | 3/31 |
Tottori | 3/25 | 4/1 |
Takamatsu | 3/24 | 3/31 |
Tokushima | 3/26 | 4/2 |
Matsuyama | 3/23 | 3/31 |
Kochi | 3/21 | 3/30 |
Shimonoseki | 3/25 | 4/1 |
Kyushu | ||
Cities | First bloom | Full bloom |
Fukuoka | 3/23 | 3/31 |
Oita | 3/24 | 4/3 |
Nagasaki | 3/24 | 4/1 |
Saga | 3/23 | 3/29 |
Kumamoto | 3/23 | 3/31 |
Miyazaki | 3/23 | 4/3 |
Kagoshima | 3/28 | 4/9 |
Amami/Okinawa | ||
Cities | First bloom | Full bloom |
Naze | 1/17 | 2/2 |
Naha | 1/13 | 2/5 |
Minamidaitojima | 2/16 | --- |
Miyakojima | 1/5 | 2/2 |
Ishigakijima | 1/22 | --- |
◇The colored places indicate points which already have passed first or full bloom.
◆Okinawa and Amami regions are areas where forecasts are not provided. |
Tohoku | ||
Cities | First bloom | Full bloom |
Aomori | 4/16 | 4/21 |
Akita | 4/9 | 4/14 |
Morioka | 4/8 | 4/12 |
Sendai | 3/29 | 4/2 |
Yamagata | 4/4 | 4/9 |
Fukushima | 4/1 | 4/5 |
◆Hokkaido (Wakkanai, Asahikawa, Abashiri, Obihiro, Kushiro) has a different species of cherry blossom trees - Ezoyamazakuara. |
Hokkaido | ||
Cities | First bloom | Full bloom |
Sapporo | 4/27 | 5/1 |
Wakkanai | 5/8 | 5/12 |
Asahikawa | 5/1 | 5/4 |
Abashiri | 5/5 | 5/7 |
Kushiro | 5/10 | 5/13 |
Obihiro | 4/29 | 5/2 |
Muroran | 4/27 | 5/3 |
Hakodate | 4/22 | 4/26 |
Cherry Blossom Forecast 2024 Schedule
- First Forecast Issued January 25th
- Second Forecast Issued February 1st
- Third Forecast Issued February 8th
- Fourth Forecast Issued February 15th
- Fifth Forecast Issued February 22nd
- Sixth Forecast Issued February 29th
After March 4th, we will update the first bloom and full bloom reports every day and provide forecasts every Monday and Thursday.
Forecast Criteria
The forecast is based on the bloom timeline of the official observation trees that are located at the 58 Japan Meteorological Agency offices across the country.
We release the forecast for 53 points in Japan except for Amami and Okinawa regions where there are no official observation trees available.
We release the forecast for 53 points in Japan except for Amami and Okinawa regions where there are no official observation trees available.
Blossom Criteria
The forecast is based on the bloom timeline of the official observation tree.
"First bloom" means observation trees have 5 to 6 flowers that have bloomed.
"Full bloom" means 80% of the observation tree flowers have bloomed.
We forecast the "Date of First Bloom" and "Date of Full Bloom" according to these meanings, which are the same with JMA's observation rules.
On average, tree fully blooms a week after first bloom.
"First bloom" means observation trees have 5 to 6 flowers that have bloomed.
"Full bloom" means 80% of the observation tree flowers have bloomed.
We forecast the "Date of First Bloom" and "Date of Full Bloom" according to these meanings, which are the same with JMA's observation rules.
On average, tree fully blooms a week after first bloom.
Photo by Kazuya Takahashi