One of the most popular seasons to visit Japan is in spring when the cherry blossoms color the Japanese landscape with its pink cape. The timing of the sakura season changes depending on the area (sakura forecast for 2018 here) and the type of sakura. If you find yourself in the Kanto area you can see the Japanese national flower already in January in Atami and in February the flowers bloom in the southern part of Izu, Kawazu.
As a part of a small day trip to the Shonan area (south of Tokyo) I and some friends stopped by the Oide River (小出川) where they were having a small sakura festival.
This is an event most recommended to those who have other plans in the vicinity. There are some entertainment scheduled during the festival period, but if you visit on a day without anything scheduled there honestly isn't that much to see besides the flowers. We got our nice cherry blossom pictures and headed over to Enoshima for some more in-depth sightseeing. If you find yourself in the Tokyo area early March and looking for opportunities to see the sakura it might be a good option as a part of a trip to Shonan.

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave any comments or questions below
- Anette

• All blog posts about Cherry Blossoms
• All blog posts from Kanagawa
• Kanto:
• Mt. Fuji & Sakura: Maruyama Kouen (丸山公園) and Iwadono Castle (岩殿城)
• Tokyo Cherry Blossom Spots: Nakameguro's Meguro River (目黒川)
• Hiking in Tokyo: Sakura viewing (花見) at Mount Takao
• Cherry Blossoms and Jogging in Tokyo: The Imperial Palace (皇居)
• Saitama: Sakura Season & Washi no Sato World Heritage Paper Making in Chichibu
• Chubu:
• The Tsubame Sakura Matsuri: Cherry Blossom PR & Last Minute Preparations
• Behind the Scene of the Tsubame Sakura Matsuri Festival - The Oiran Dochu
• Izu: Sakura Viewing at the Kawazu Sakura Festival (伊豆河津桜まつり)
• Early March Cherry Blossom Viewing in Shonan - Oide River (小出川)
• Kansai:
• Sakura Season in Kansai - Hanami in the Expo ’70 Commemorative Park!
• Spring in Japan: Sakura Season and Hanami in Kyoto!
• Spring in Kyoto: Ritsumeikan University Orientation Week and Cherry Blossom Hanami!
• Sakura Season: Weekend Trip to Nara
• All blog posts from Japan 

Hotel Chinzanso ★★★★★  → review .

Hotel New Otani Tokyo ★★★★★ .

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo ★★★★★ ,

Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa ★★★★ .

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The Hina Matsuri doll festival is a yearly event held in Japan on the 3rd of March to celebrate and pray for the health and happiness of girls. It is common that a collection of dolls is displayed in both private homes and public buildings, often set up in a multi-tiered doll stand called hinadan (雛壇). The Hina Matsuri tradition is celebrated all over Japan, but the features and details of the practice vary from area to area. In the Gajoen they have collected Hina dolls from various places in Japan, giving visitors a chance to see and compare dolls from different Japanese prefectures.

Japan is already known worldwide for its beautiful cherry blossom trees blooming around late March until early April in the areas around Tokyo. It is no wonder that this also is when the number of visiting tourists to Japan hits its yearly peak, a number that keeps increasing every year. But did you know that if you visit Japan a little bit earlier you can enjoy the just as beautiful plum flowers that are blooming from the beginning of February to early March?