Japan Releases 2024 Cherry Blossom Forecast – Where & When To Go

While the US is cold and icy, Americans can look forward to an amazing spring if they head to Japan for the famous cherry blossom festival. The country has just released its official 2024 cherry blossom forecast, so get ready for some beautiful blooms. Here’s when you can expect to experience this iconic and beautiful time of year in Japan.

Japan and its Cherry Blossom forecast

First of all, the good news is that the cherry trees are predicted to start blooming earlier this year. What makes Japan’s cherry blossoms so special is that if you can’t make the trip to one destination, other places bloom later.

According to the Japan Meteorological Corporation, those in Tokyo are expected to start blooming on March 23. Moreover, the full bloom is expected at around March 30.

Heading south to the Kochi Prefecture, and the cherry blossom experience is set to start around March 18. Meanwhile, visitors to Hokkaido in the north can look forward to the bloom starting around May 2. Moreover, Kyoto expects the cherry blossom blooms to happen on March 23, while the full bloom should appear at the start of April.

Why do the dates vary?

Like many places in the world, climate change is affecting Japan. According to the Japan Times, the dates for eastern and western parts of the country are a little earlier than usual due to higher-than-average temperatures during November and December. Moreover, the weather agency shared that climate change is not only making the blooms come early but also making it more difficult to predict.

For those wondering how long the blooms are expected to last, the Live Japan tourism website said they normally stay on the branch for around two weeks from opening to peak bloom. However, this does depend on the weather and temperatures during the season. This means if travelers miss the main bloom in the south of the country, they can try their luck by heading further north.

While the predictions have been released, readers should note that the date can and probably will be revised several times in the run-up to the floral event. According to the Japan Times, in 2023, weather experts revised their predictions 13 times. However, they did get their estimation to within 2.1 days of blooms.

When can you expect cherry blossoms in Washington, DC?

For those with no time to head to Japan, Washington, DC also puts on quite the show of blooms each year. However, according to experts, it will likely be a few more weeks before predictions are out. Moreover, the official Cherry Blossom Watch site for DC states: “It’s still far too early to know precisely when the famous cherry blossoms will bloom around the Tidal Basin in Spring 2024.” However, if 2023 is anything to go by, travelers can expect the Washington, DC cherry trees to bloom around mid to late March in 2024.

Each year, the city sees more than 1.5 million visitors heading there to enjoy the National Cherry Blossom Festival. This came into being after Tokyo gifted two cherry trees which were planted in West Potomac Park. These days, many cherry blossom trees surround the Tidal Basin reservoir.

Read more about the festival in Washington, DC and other locations in the USA here.