It has been almost one month since the release of the first Sakura Forecast from the Japan Weather Association. Now, their second forecast has been announced! In their second round of predictions, the JWA gives more details and more dates! Don’t miss out on the news!
Previously, the Japan Weather Association reported that in spite of 2016 being a leap year, the sakura would bloom around the same time as any other year. The concern comes from the fact that during leap years, the cherry blossoms tend to bloom a bit later. Luckily, this is still true, as the blossoms will be appearing no later than usual. With an updated and more detailed map, as well as many cities and around what days their sakura will begin to bloom, locals and visitors can look forward to a wonderful hanami season.
The changes in the forecast include slightly later dates for parts of Kyushu and slight changes to the first blooming days in certain areas of Kansai. The Japan Weather Association explained that sakura blooming times are influenced by the weather and temperatures from the previous fall up until the date of blooming. For example, if the weather is warmer, the blooms will appear a bit earlier than usual. The weather saw many changes from the fall of 2015 until winter 2016. JWA went on to say that in Shikoku and surrounding areas, the first winds of spring blew. However, in and after January, temperatures dropped and colder weather returned. So what does this mean for the sakura? They still predict that the blooming times will not change dramatically from a non-leap year!
To give an idea, the JWA’s general forecast in for a March 25th start in Fukuoka, Kochi, Tokyo (the Chiyoda ward area), a March 28th start for Osaka, and blooms on April 8th in Sendai.
How about more specifically? The JWA website offers a long list of areas, prefectures and cities along with their blooming dates. Most areas are marked as being similar to non-leap year blooming times. Others in Kyushu are marked as later while a few places like Miyagi or Iwate prefectures as shown as being predicted to bloom a few days earlier.
If you are living in or visiting Japan during the cherry blossom season, most likely you will be heading outside to have a hanami party with friends. For more in-depth information about which places are the best to go to, you can check two more articles here and here to help you fully enjoy the spring. And don’t forget to check below for the sakura dates in your prefecture and city!
Kyushu Area
| City | Predicted Blooming Tendency | Predicted Blooming Date | Non-Leap Year Blooming Date | Last Year’s Blooming Date | |
| Fukuoka Prefecture | Fukuoka City | As Usual | Around 3/25 | 3/23 | 3/22 |
| Oita Prefecture | Oita City | Late | Around 3/28 | 3/24 | 3/26 |
| Nagasaki Prefecture | Nagasaki City | Late | Around 3/28 | 3/24 | 3/22 |
| Saga Prefecture | Saga City | Late | Around 3/28 | 3/24 | 3/22 |
| Kumamoto Prefecture | Kumamoto City | Late | Around 3/26 | 3/23 | 3/22 |
| Miyazaki Prefecture | Miyazaki City | Late | Around 3/28 | 3/24 | 3/22 |
| Kagoshima Prefecture | Kagoshima City | Late | Around 4/1 | 3/26 | 3/21 |
Chugoku Area
| City | Predicted Blooming Tendency | Predicted Blooming Date | Non-Leap Year Blooming Date | Last Year’s Blooming Date | |
| Hiroshima Prefecture | Hiroshima City | As Usual | Around 3/28 | 3/27 | 3/24 |
| Okayama Prefecture | Okayama City | As usual | Around 3/29 | 3/29 | 3/28 |
| Shimane Prefecture | Matsue | As usual | Around 3/30 | 3/31 | 3/29 |
| Tottori Prefecture | Tottori City | As usual | Around 3/30 | 3/31 | 3/28 |
| Yamaguchi Prefecture | Shimonoseki | Late | Around 3/30 | 3/27 | 3/25 |
Kansai Area
| City | Predicted Blooming Tendency | Predicted Blooming Date | Non-Leap Year Blooming Date | Last Year’s Blooming Date | |
| Osaka Prefecture | Osaka City | As Usual | Around 3/28 | 3/28 | 3/26 |
| Shiga Prefecture | Hikone | As usual | Around 3/31 | 4/2 | 3/31 |
| Kyoto Prefecture | Kyoto City | As usual | Around 3/28 | 3/28 | 3/27 |
| Hyogo Prefecture | Kobe | As usual | Around 3/29 | 3/28 | 3/27 |
| Nara Prefecture | Nara City | As usual | Around 3/28 | 3/29 | 3/27 |
| Wakayama Prefecture | Wakayama City | As usual | Around 3/26 | 3/26 | 3/23 |
| Mie Prefecture | Tsu | As usual | Around 3/31 | 3/30 | 3/29 |
Chubu Area
| City | Predicted Blooming Tendency | Predicted Blooming Date | Non-Leap Year Blooming Date | Last Year’s Blooming Date | |
| Aichi Prefecture | Nagoya | As Usual | Around 3/25 | 3/26 | 3/21 |
| Shizuoka Prefecture | Shizuoka City | Late | Around 3/28 | 3/25 | 3/22 |
| Gifu Prefecture | Gifu City | As usual | Around 3/26 | 3/26 | 3/23 |
| Yamanashi Prefecture | Kofu | As usual | Around 3/28 | 3/27 | 3/25 |
| Nagano Prefecture | Nagano City | Early | Around 4/9 | 4/13 | 4/4 |
| Niigata Prefecture | Niigata City | As usual | Around 4/7 | 4/9 | 4/2 |
| Toyama Prefecture | Toyama City | As usual | Around 4/4 | 4/5 | 4/1 |
| Ishikawa Prefecture | Kanazawa | As usual | Around 4/3 | 4/4 | 3/31 |
| Fukui Prefecture | Fukui City | As usual | Around 4/1 | 4/3 | 3/31 |
Kanto Area
| City | Predicted Blooming Tendency | Predicted Blooming Date | Non-Leap Year Blooming Date | Last Year’s Blooming Date | |
| Tokyo Metropolis | Tokyo City Center | As Usual | Around 3/25 | 3/26 | 3/23 |
| Ibaraki Prefecture | Mito | As usual | Around 4/1 | 4/2 | 3/30 |
| Tochigi Prefecture | Utsunomiya City | As usual | Around 4/2 | 4/1 | 3/30 |
| Gunma Prefecture | Maebashi | As usual | Around 3/31 | 3/31 | 3/28 |
| Saitama Prefecture | Kumagaya | As usual | Around 3/30 | 3/29 | 3/27 |
| Chiba Prefecture | Choshi | As usual | Around 4/1 | 3/31 | 3/30 |
| Kanagawa Prefecture | Yokohama | As usual | Around 3/27 | 3/26 | 3/23 |
Tohoku Area
| City | Predicted Blooming Tendency | Predicted Blooming Date | Non-Leap Year Blooming Date | Last Year’s Blooming Date | |
| Miyagi Prefecture | Sendai | Early | Around 4/8 | 4/11 | 4/3 |
| Aomori Prefecture | Aomori City | As usual | Around 4/23 | 4/24 | 4/14 |
| Akita Prefecture | Akita City | As usual | Around 4/16 | 4/18 | 4/11 |
| Iwate Prefecture | Morioka | Early | Around 4/18 | 4/21 | 4/9 |
| Yamagata Prefecture | Yamagata City | As usual | Around 4/13 | 4/15 | 4/10 |
| Fukushima Prefecture | Fukushima City | As usual | Around 4/7 | 4/9 | 4/2 |
Hokkaido Area
| City | Predicted Blooming Tendency | Predicted Blooming Date | Non-Leap Year Blooming Date | Last Year’s Blooming Date | |
| Hokkaido Prefecture | Sapporo | As usual | Around 5/3 | 5/3 | 4/22 |
| Hokkaido Prefecture | Muroran | As usual | Around 5/6 | 5/6 | 4/28 |
| Hokkaido Prefecture | Hakodate | As usual | Around 4/30 | 4/30 | 4/21 |
What do you think about the forecast? Hopefully, you can be in Japan at the right time for the best view of sakura!
Related Articles:
・97 Things to Do in Osaka, the Japanese City of Street Food, Culture, and Comedy, in 2018
・The 2016 Sakura Forecast by the Japan Weather Association Has Been Released!
・The Sakura Forecast in Japan 2016: Where to Go and How to Plan