From pink plum blossoms in Setagaya to purple sprays of wisteria in Fukuoka, here are five alternative bloom festivals in Japan – and how to enjoy them responsibly.
Each April of my childhood, my family and I picnicked beneath cherry blossom trees in Yokohama’s Negishi Park. We snacked on yakitori (barbecued chicken skewers) as petals drifted around us like pink snowflakes, greeting other families who had also come to quietly enjoy Japan’s beloved tradition of admiring spring blooms.
Today, that peaceful experience is harder to find. A post-pandemic surge in international tourism – fuelled by social media and a weakened yen – has brought record crowds to Japan’s most famous sakura (cherry blossom) viewing spots, along with complaints of littering and trespassing. In Fujiyoshida, near Mt Fuji, officials recently cancelled the city’s 2026 sakura festival, after visitor numbers swelled to 200,000 visitors each season.
But cherry blossoms are just part of a broader tradition. Across Japan, plum blossoms, azaleas, wisteria, hydrangeas and lavender each have their own moment in the calendar, with festival and traditions that stretch far beyond spring.
“Japan is all about seasonality,” said Taylor Bond, content director for Deeper Japan. “While sakura grabs international attention, domestically there’s just as much interest in other seasonal flowers.”
