Nihonbashi and Other Great Spots with Sakura Festivals!

Nihonbashi and other neighborhoods in Tokyo are celebrating the sakura season with all things pink! Tokyo’s top cherry blossom spots host annual festivals around mid-bloom for a week or two. They are held along several famous viewing spots in Tokyo. Here are the must-visit sakura festivals in 2024 to celebrate spring correctly!

Sakura Fes Nihonbashi

If looking at actual trees is not, for some reason, your sort of thing, head into central Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district. Enjoy a packed, fun sakura day in Tokyo. The area isn’t quite as packed with cherry trees as other parts of town. But it more than makes up for this with the stunning variety of cherry blossom-themed installations. There are seven designs, each inspired by cherry blossoms, like somei yoshino, okame-zakura, and kawazu-zakura. 

Come evening, Nihonbashi’s Edo Sakuradori street will light up with pastel pink-colored illuminations. You’ll find glowing cherry blossoms along the Mitsui Building and outside shopping malls and office buildings. The street leading to Fukutoku Shrine features an audio-visual digital cherry avenue. Food and drink stalls and shops will be around the shrine, run by restaurants and hotels in the Nihonbashi area.

You can expect sakura-themed cocktails, bento boxes (home-packed meals), pastries, and delicious food at 240 venues in the neighborhood. Food stalls also feature gourmet snacks of all kinds, art exhibitions, and music. And rumor has it, there’s even a treasure hunt.

Are you looking for some delicious snacks this upcoming spring? Check out TokyoTreat! TokyoTreat delivers limited-edition Japanese noodles, snacks, drinks, and sweets right to your door so you can enjoy the latest spring goodies directly from Japan!

Machida Sakura Festival 

Don’t miss this multi-venue event celebrating the best of spring. The Machida Sakura Festival is held during the sakura season, where you can enjoy the street stalls and performances while gazing at beautiful cherry blossoms. In the southern part of Tokyo, Machida City can be accessed in just over 30 minutes by train from Shinjuku station. 

This part of the prefecture is home to some great green spaces. This is highlighted by the Machida Sakura Festival during sakura peak. The event will be held along the banks of the Onda River, at Ridge Green Road, and at Serigaya Park. There are no shortages of sakura blooms for visitors to enjoy.

Tokyo Garden Sakura Spring Festival 2024

Tokyo’s Happo-en Garden is one place to escape city life’s hustle and bustle. And it’s a particularly gorgeous destination during the spring months. Celebrate the spring in this stunning Japanese garden, mainly for weddings and special events. It’s located in the heart of Tokyo, in Minato ward. It is famous for its charm with a tea ceremony house, carp fish pond, and pretty sakura trees.

From March 17 to April 9, you can see the garden’s sakura illuminations with baby pink lights. Around 80 sakura trees color the grounds, and a festival is celebrated while the blooms are at their best. Tokyo’s Sakura Garden Spring Festival has breathtaking illuminations of the blossoms from sunset until nighttime. 

Drop by on the event’s opening day for a free koto (Japanese zither) performance in the evening. The weekends are also great to visit when you can enjoy some delicious sakura-themed food at their food stalls.

Try the cherry blossom dumplings with sakura filling and pink-colored steamed buns to get in the mood for spring. There is no admission fee to enter the gardens, but bring some money with you if you’re visiting on a weekend and want to buy a snack or a cocktail. 

Why should I visit these sakura festivals in neighborhoods like Nihonbashi?

With the arrival of spring in Tokyo come special events, especially the famous cherry blossoms. Sakura in Japan is worth celebrating, and there’s nothing like a festival atmosphere to enhance the sakura viewing!

What makes Tokyo’s cherry blossom festivals truly special is the fusion of ancient customs with contemporary celebrations. As petals drift through the air, the cityscape, including iconic landmarks like Tokyo Tower and the Imperial Palace, is bathed in the soft glow of sakura. Evening illuminations enhance the magical atmosphere, turning the city into a dreamlike landscape.

In essence, Tokyo’s cherry blossom festivals are more than a visual spectacle; they are a celebration of nature, a reflection of Japanese cultural traditions, and a shared experience that unites people in the heart of this vibrant metropolis.

Countless sakura spots have annual festivals, but Tokyo’s neighborhoods have some of the best ones. Don’t miss gazing at pink blossoms with your loved ones, and make the most of springtime! Do you have a favorite spot in Japan to celebrate the sakura season? Let us know in the comments below!