One of the prettiest places for seeing cherry blossoms is Kyoto! Many of the famous Kyoto cherry blossom spots have weeping cherry trees and double-flowered cherry trees, making for breathtaking photos. Tourists are treated to the city’s unique, luxurious annual blossom viewing when the trees reach full bloom in early April.
Here are ten locations carefully selected from among Kyoto’s many famous cherry blossom sites, along with information on the best time for viewing and associated festivals for your reference when visiting the ancient capital.
Main image: Travelpixs / Shutterstock.com
1. Yodogawa Kasen Park: A masterpiece of riverside cherry blossom tunnels
First-time visitors will often Tweet, “What an amazing place!”
Yodogawa Kasen Park is a national park covering a vast river area that straddles Kyoto and Osaka prefectures. The park’s Sewaritei area in Yawata City is located on a 1.4 kilometer-long bank between the Uji and Kizu rivers, where they converge with the Katsura River to form the Yodo River.
Around 220 Yoshino cherry trees line the park’s footpaths, making it a very popular Kyoto cherry blossom viewing destination.
The nearly 1.4-kilometer cherry blossom tunnel
Located on a hill and situated about 25 meters above ground, the Sakura Deaikan observation tower overlooks the cherry blossom trees and the Uji and Kizu rivers.
On the outskirts of Kyoto, the park is a popular place to enjoy the beautiful river scenery, and its Sewaritei Sakura Festival draws as many as 450,000 people annually. The festival features plenty of stands selling beer and sake, and it’s a vivacious event.
Locally known as “Sewaritei Sakura” (‘Sewari-tei’ means ‘separation levee’)
Peak viewing: Early April
Sewaritei Sakura Festival
・Venue: Yodogawa River Park Sewaritei Area
・Date: Late March to early April
・Admission: Free
・Phone: 075-633-5120 (Sakura Deaikan)
Yawatazaiouzizisaki, Yawata Shi, Kyoto Fu, 614-0000
Access: 10-minute walk from Keihan Electric Railway Iwashimizu Hachimangu Station
075-633-5120
Admission: Free
Recommended hotel nearby
2. Ninnaji Temple: Late-blooming eye-level Omurozakura is a must-see
A place of worship famous for Kyoto’s last-blooming cherry blossoms
Kinugasa, Hanazono, and Omuro in northwestern Kyoto are home to many aristocratic villas established during the imperial capital days, as well as major temples like Kinkakuji and Ryoanji.
One of the temples, Ninnaji, is the head temple of the Buddhist Shingon sect’s Omuro school. The complex is magnificent with the impressive Niomon (temple gate), the elegant palace, the main hall, and the five-storied pagoda.
About 200 cherry trees are planted against the backdrop of these buildings, with the weeping cherry tree in front of the bell tower and the Yoshino cherry tree near the main hall as the most iconic.
Omurozakura with the five-storied pagoda in the background is a popular sight to witness
Special attention is paid to the late-blooming (early to mid-April) cherry blossoms called Omurozakura, with a grove located west of the central gate.
During the Kyoto cherry blossom viewi…
