Enjoy the early cherry blossom in Japan
There are in fact approximately 200 different types of cherry blossom trees in Japan. Each with slight differences in their color and shape that can be hard to distinguish from one another.
Most of you probably know the Someiyoshino type which is the most famous and usually bloom from end of March to early of April.
But there are also types that bloom early, from middle of February.
The 3 main type are:
ーKawazu Zakura （河津桜）
ーKanhi Zakura （寒緋桜）
ーKanzakura(寒桜)
And there are more types you can see the bloom earlier.
Their petals are more vivid pink, so in my opinion, they are more beautiful to see and enjoy.
In this page, I will write all the places we visited that you can see the early cherry blossom. So in case you visit in Japan at the early season, and still want to enjoy the cherry blossom, you will have the options to.
Table of Contents
Shizuoka:
Kawazu Zakura Matsuri
As the name of the type of the cherry blossom, there is actually an station called “Kawazu” in Shizuoka and there every year in February has a festival of this early sakura.
There around 4km of 850 Kawazu sakura trees.
There are many sakura flavor sweets and food that selling there. It is really fun and recommended place to visit.
Peak time: around middle to end of February
Tokyo:
Shimoochiai Hikawa Shrine
A beautiful shrine near Takadanobaba station. It has one big Kawazu sakura tree. and two plum trees in the shrine.
Peak time: around early March
Koyasu Inari Shrine
A small and local shrine near Ikebukuro station. It has 2 Kawazu sakura trees and this shrine is in quite area.
Peak time: around early March
Seiwa Park
A nice park with several Kawazu sakura trees around. You can enjoy picnic there.
Peak time: around early March
Ebara Shrine
Small shrine near Shinagawa. It has only 2 sakura trees (Kanhi Sakura) but it is really beautiful.
Peak Time: around middle to end of February
Yoyogi Park
Yoyogi Park is huge park near Harajuku station. But it has only few trees of Kawazu sakura.
Peak time: around end of February
Sakura Jingu Shrine
Absolutely adorable shrine to visit! It has 3 Kawazu sakura trees, but one of them is surrounded with pink ribbons which makes it even more cute
Peak time: around middle to end of February
Kiba Park
Around 80 trees of Kawazu zakura are blooming along the river of Kiba Park.
Peak time: around early March to middle of March.
Tokyo Skytree (Tobu Bridge)
There only 2 trees of the Kawazu Zakura tree on the bridge and it is pretty crowded area but it is a beautiful place to picture the Skytree with the early cherry blossom tree.
Peak time: around early March to middle of March.
Shioiri Park
A beautiful park to visit with many early sakura trees ＋ white flowers.
You can enjoy picnic under the pink flowers
Peak time: around middle of March
Kuramae Shrine
Beautiful shrine in Tokyo to enjoy an early sakura trees + yellow mimosa flowers.
The most interesting thing, that they still don`t know the type of this cherry blossom. But their color are the most vivid that I saw until now.
Be careful that this shrine is one of the most crowded area in weekends.
I recommend to visit in weekdays.
Peak time: around middle of March
Hato no mori Hachiman Shrine
Another beautiful shrine to enjoy the early sakura blooming. It has around 3-4 trees of sakura and also plum trees.
Peak time: around early to middle of March
Rinshi no mori Park
A beautiful park between Meguro and Shinagawa. It has 10 Kawazu sakura trees and it is very quiet park.
Peak time: around middle to end of February.
Imado Shrine
A shrine near Asakusa, which is a cat themed shrine. It has few sakura trees and the trees located in the parking so it is not a good space to photograph but it is also a nice shrine to visit.
Peak time: around end of February to early March.
Saitama:
Mitsuzoin Temple
Beautiful temple in Saitama which has around 50-60 sakura trees (which called: Angyo Sakura) and it is really beautiful.
Peak time: around early to middle of March
Aogehori River
In Washinomiya, around the Aogehori river, there around 3km with 300 row trees of Kawazu cherry blossom with the yellow flowers.
It need to walk a few minutes from the Kuki station.
Peak time: around early to middle of March
Kanagawa:
Matsudayama Herb Garden
It has about 360 kawazu trees with beautiful yellow flowers that called Hirschfeldia. It it on a small mountain so there are slope and from there you can see Mt.Fuji.
Peak time: around middle February
Miura Kaigan
It has a beautiful row of 1,000 early sakura trees.
Peak time: around middle february
Aburatsubo Onsen
Hanami Hot Spring
You also can enjoy the sakura trees from the hot springs of Kanagawa + ocean view.
After the hot spring you can enjoy a lunch time with the view.
Peak Time: around early March
Chiba
Fukuei Sports Hiroba
25 minutes walk from Minami-Gyotoku station.
A beautiful row of early sakura with yellow flowers
Peak Time: around end of February to early of March.
