Cherry blossoms at the Tokyo Imperial Palace

The blossom season is short and shifts a little every year. In Tokyo and Yokohama the first flowers usually open in the closing days of March, and the peak follows in the first week of April.¹ After that the petals hold for only a week or two.²

Forecasts add some precision but not certainty. The Japan Meteorological Agency defines full bloom as the day when over 80% of the flowers on a reference tree are open,⁶ and warns that its predicted dates can be off by two to three days either way.⁷

For the palace area, GO TOKYO places the pastel pink views at Chidorigafuchi between late March and early April.⁸ Plan a window of a few days around the date you hear in the news rather than a fixed day, and keep a flexible schedule. A trip built around one booked afternoon is a gamble, whereas a trip with several free mornings can adapt when the buds are early or late. If the blossom has not opened, the East Gardens and the museums nearby keep the days full.

For a different angle, rent a rowboat. Rowboat rental at Chidorigafuchi is available from March through November.⁴ On the water the trees reach down to the surface and the walkway above becomes a frame. Seen from a boat, the blossom is a ceiling rather than a wall, and the stone embankment that once defended the castle is clearly visible. Allow time for the dock queue in peak weeks and bring a camera strap, because hands are busy rowing.

The boat pier extends its hours for the blossom nights. The city's Sakura Festival page says the pier stays open until nighttime while the trees are lit for about 12 days from late March to early April every year.¹⁰

GO TOKYO notes that in the evening the trees are illuminated for after-dark strolls and rowboat rides.²⁴ Check the Chiyoda City Tourism Association page for the days and hours of the boats in the year you travel, since the season is short and the schedule is set for it.

Beside the greenway is Chidori-ga-fuchi Park, which opened in 1919 and is about 450 meters long north to south.³² About 170 cherry trees, including Somei Yoshino and Yamazakura, are planted in it.¹⁷ From February to May rapeseed also blooms yellow beside the pink.¹⁸

A short stroll on is the Kitanomaru Garden, which holds about another 230 cherry trees including Somei Yoshino.¹⁹ The Ministry of the Environment calls Kitanomaru particularly beautiful in the cherry blossom season and again in autumn.³³

Kitanomaru also has its own wooded areas and a pond that serve as a home for local wildlife.²⁰ It is a calmer option for people who find the greenway too busy, with open lawns for a rest between viewings. Pair it with the Budokan or the museums if rain arrives.

Spring weather is changeable. The NOAA Tokyo station behind this site shows March afternoons at 13.3 °C on average and nights at 4.7 °C,¹⁶ while April climbs to 18.8 °C by day and 10.2 °C by night.¹⁶ Bring a warm layer for an evening beside the moat, and a light rain jacket in case a shower arrives. The temperature drop after sunset is noticeable beside the water, so a scarf is a sensible addition.

For fewer people, the Japan National Tourism Organization advises going early in the day.²³ Yasukuni Shrine, nearby, also holds a yearly cherry blossom festival with food stalls and evening illuminations.³⁸

A guided walk combines the blossom with the history. The Viator walking tour for this site takes 2 hours and is priced from $13, and a spring walk gives you the castle stones and the pink moat in one outing. Book early in blossom week and choose a morning slot, which leaves your afternoon free for the greenway.