How to Hanami, with a Twist: Unique Ways to Enjoy Cherry Blossom Season

Ah yes, cherry blossom season — the ephemeral beauty, the delicate transience, the sitting in a park for who knows how long, surrounded by who even knows and then lugging home muddy blue sheets and half-eaten rice balls just because it’s late March and that’s what you’re supposed to do. Right? Wrong. There are plenty of alternative ways to hanami in Tokyo.

Pro tip: Get your sakura fix on a traditional yakatabune boat, and cruise around Tokyo’s waterways like the boss you are.

While hanami literally means flower viewing, this term is almost always associated with sakura (cherry blossoms), and often involves staring at them in a garden or park while picnicking.

Sure, day drinking is great, but now what? We restless types need a bit of variety, a bit of movement, a bit of get the hell away from the crowds at Ueno or wherever the heck.

These are our favorite ways to see sakura on your own terms — outside of the picnic scenario, while stretching your legs, moving around, and generally escaping the hordes.

Pro tip: For an idea of flowering dates, see our sakura forecast.

Try a cemetery

Important: If you go to a cemetery, do be mindful and respectful. It’s more of a place for a calm stroll than a rowdy picnic. Walk, see the sakura, and go elsewhere for the party.

In Japan, cemetery hangs aren’t just goth wish fulfillment, they’re a viable, semi-socially-acceptable sakura-viewing alternative. In fact, in Tokyo, two cemeteries come alive, so to speak, during cherry blossom season: Aoyama Cemetery and Yanaka Cemetery.

Both places are good for a stroll around, and you may even spot Hachiko’s grave at Aoyama. They’re both also walking distance to other places to actually hang out, like Aoyama, Omotesandō, and Yanaka Ginza, so you won’t run out of things to see or do.

Hanami on the water

Like your sakura vistas with a bit of motion and scenic variety? Get on a boat.

Wasen at O-Edo Fukagawa Sakura Festival

Cherry blossom season makes for scenic boat rides around the city’s waterways. The unassuming neighborhood of Monzen-Nakacho bustles in early spring, thanks to the Edo Fukagawa Sakura Festival, which takes place in late March to early April. This event features the usual festival attractions — food, games, and performances — plus boat rides down the nearby river.

While there, we recommend riding a wasen — a traditional Japanese boat — as it’s only about ¥1,000 a ride (per 30 minutes), which is just long enough to enjoy some blossoms and move on.

Wasen rides usually take place during the day on all weekends and holidays. There are more details about this year’s festival in the event listing below.

Edo Fukagawa Sakura Festival

Dates:

Mid

Mar

~

Mid

Apr

 2027

Entry:Free

Read more

Sakura cruises

Depending on your tolerance for being on a boat, there are quite a few companies that offer tours of varying durations to Tokyo’s sakura hotspots.

• Galleon operates two types of hanami cruises: a daytime hanami cruise that starts and ends at Monzen-Nakacho, passing through the Oyoko and Sumida Rivers, as well as a nighttime version of the same trip. You can bring your own alcohol on board, but you are reminded to be respectful (don’t get sloshed).
• Nihonbashi Cruise has a variety of special cruises into hanami hotspots like Sumida River and Oyoko River near O-Edo Fukagawa Sakura Festival. They also offer walking tours of Takahashi departing from Nihonbashi Pier, if you want to get your steps in.
• Tokyo Cruise offers several hanami boat rides down the Sumida River in late March and early April. A special sakura line departs from Asakusa, Hamarikyu Gardens, or Hinode Pier (aka Sunrise Pier). Prices start from ¥1,000, but a full excursion will cost you ¥1,600 for a 45-minute round trip.

Traditional yakatabune boats in Tokyo

If you feel like splurging, you can board a yakatabune, a traditional Japanese boat that’s used for merriment. Some yakatabune have dinner courses for individuals or small groups. This spring-exclusive yakatabune trip includes a meal and traditional performances, starting at ¥9,800 per person.

SUP and Kayaking

For the extra energetic, there are a few places in and around the city that do kayak and stand-up paddleboarding hanami tours.

• Mio Kayak Adventures, based in Edogawa, has hanami tours in and around the Sumida River throughout March and April. The tour takes you past popular hanami spots — sans crowds — and famous neighborhoods and landmarks like Ryōgoku, Asakusa, and Tokyo Skytree.
• Mizubeso is a stand-up paddleboarding club based on the Ooka River in Yokohama, one of the city’s most popular hanami locations. Their cherry blossom tours feature 4- or 8-kilometer round trips of the sakura-lined river, photos, and the option to switch to the Minato Mirai area if the condition of the cherry blossoms is better there.

Hanami day trip

If you really want to distance yourself from Tokyo’s crowded hanami parks, there are a ton of places not far from the city where you can take in the local sakura. And many of them have their own activities to indulge in while you’re there.

Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture is just a 60- to 90-minute train ride away from Tokyo, and the cherry blossoms add a springtime flourish to the area’s temples and shrines.

If you get tired of exploring on foot, you can rent a rickshaw to help you get around. You can find rickshaw drivers near Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and Engakuji, among others. It usually costs roughly ¥6,000 per head for a ride.

Other spots outside of the city include Odawara Castle in Kanagawa and Chichibu, Nagatoro, and Kawagoe in Saitama. For an easy hike closer to the city, you could also try Mt. Takao or Okutama.

Hanami in a Tokyo amusement park

Add some adrenaline to your hanami.

Toshimaen in Nerima Ward (near Toshimaen Station), Hanayashiki in Asakusa, and Yomiuriland near Keio-Yomiuriland Station have plenty of cherry trees to further liven up the scenery day and night.

Toshimaen accepts reservations for hanami barbecue parties, while Hanayashiki has a beer garden. At Yomiuriland, you can see cherry blossoms as you ride a roller coaster, or see lots of pink from above as you ride their sky gondola and Ferris wheel.

If you can get tickets, you could also check out the newly opened PokéPark Kanto at Yomiuriland.

On wheels

Catch some cherry blossoms on the move.

By bike

Bikes are arguably the best way to see the city. Free from the underground confinements of the subway system, you can explore in the open air and, during spring, take in a ton of cherry blossoms if you know where to look. Thankfully, a lot of the city’s sakura-lined riverways have bike paths.

• The Tama River Cycling Road stretches around 50 kilometers from Kawasaki up to Okutama. The pathway has cafés, vending machines, and bathrooms along the way.
• For an easier inner-city trip, try the Kanda River Ride to Kichijōji. The 12-kilometer route follows the Kanda Riverwest from Sasazuka past parks, cherry blossoms, shrines, and temples towards (the probably crowded!) Inokashira Park.
• Nearby, starting from near Kichijōji Station, the Tamako Bike Path follows the roughly 20-kilometer route out to Tama Lake and Sayama Park. Along the way, you’ll find an archway of cherry blossoms covering the path near Hana-Koganei Station as well as small parks and resting areas scattered throughout. When you reach your destination, Tama Lake and the nearby Sayama Park have no shortage of picturesque views and cherry blossoms, minus the crowds of the city’s parks.

By bus

Get close enough to touch some cherry blossoms by hopping on the Tokyo Sky Bus, an open-air double-decker bus. It offers a number of courses all year long. There’s also an Open Top Bus that specifically offers hanami tours during March and April.

Hanami while bathing

For ultimate hanami relaxation away from the crowds, hanami in an onsen (hot spring) or sento (bathhouse) is also a thing.

Kakeinoyu

• While you’ll have to go beyond Tokyo for onsen with really scenic views, Tokyo’s got Kakeinoyu, Yomiuriland’s super sento. It has an outdoor bath with a view of a few cherry trees. It may not be much, but an outdoor bath and cherry blossoms should make for a relaxing, uniquely Japanese experience. Entrance is ¥2,300 (¥1,300 for children) on weekdays, and ¥2,800 (¥1,500 for children) on weekends — cheaper if you book online.
• There’s also Tokyo Somei Onsen Sakura—the name should already be a dead giveaway that it has something to do with cherry blossoms. The Edo-era village of Somei formed part of what is now Sugamo, and this natural onsen is proud to be located in the birthplace of the classic Somei Yoshino cherry. There are several cherry trees around the premises, which make for a relaxing, beautiful sight as you pamper yourself. Classy as this onsen is, it’s not that expensive at ¥2,100 for adults and ¥1,200 for children (on weekdays).

Note that neither of these onsen allows you to bathe if you have tattoos, but you’ll be able to visit the restaurants and some other facilities.

Frequently asked questions

Still got some queries about hanami options around Tokyo?

Is it OK to picnic in Aoyama Cemetery or Yanaka Cemetery?

No. While it’s normal for people to walk around (quietly and respectfully) and spend time there, it’s still considered sacred land. So eating and drinking will probably earn you a stern talking to, at a minimum.

What is the Tokyo Sakura Tram?

The Tokyo Sakura Tram, or officially the Toden Arakawa Line, is (technically, but it’s complicated!) Tokyo’s only remaining tram line. It runs across the top of the metropolis from Minowabashi Station to Waseda Station through Ikebukuro and other popular neighborhoods. As the nickname suggests, you can see cherry blossoms along the route and in nearby areas.

I’m not here in March or April. Is there anywhere in Tokyo to see early cherry blossoms?

Yes! Kawazu cherry blossoms bloom throughout February. Check out our guide to where to find them.

This article was originally published in March 2015. Last updated by Patrick Balfe on February 4, 2026. Information is subject to change. Always check official event sites before making plans.