How Japanese People Enjoy Spring: Unique Traditions and Seasonal Fun

“Hanami” is an ancient Japanese custom and cultural tradition of enjoying the arrival of spring and the blooming of cherry blossoms.
It’s a classic spring outing where people lay out picnic mats under cherry trees, gather in large groups, and spend time chatting and having fun while enjoying parties (food and drinks) and games as they view the blossoms.
Families, friends, and company events mix together, creating a lively, energetic atmosphere.
The history of hanami culture goes back far, to the Nara period (710–794), when “plum blossom viewing” was introduced from China.
In the Heian period (794–1185), the focus of viewing shifted from plums to cherry blossoms, and it’s said that Emperor Saga’s banquet called “Kaen no Sechi” is the origin of “hanami” (enjoying cherry blossoms).
At first, it was held only by a limited number of people in the upper classes such as the emperor and aristocrats, but it spread to many more people over time.
In the Kamakura period (1185–1333), the current party style became established, and in the Edo period (1603–1868), commoners began enjoying it as well.

“Yozakura” refers to cherry blossoms seen at night, or nighttime hanami.
At night, some famous cherry blossom spots light up the trees with illuminations and lanterns.
The charm of yozakura is that the white and pink petals show off a crisp, beautiful look and create a different atmosphere than during the day.
Nearby nighttime views—such as high-rise buildings and residential areas—add just the right accent, drawing people in with a scene that feels out of the ordinary.
Yozakura reflected on the surface of ponds and rivers is especially beautiful and truly magical.
Also, walking along a cherry blossom path while feeling a gentle night breeze lets you enjoy a special, spring-only experience.

At famous cherry blossom spots and in surrounding areas, “sakura festivals” are often held to match the best viewing season.
Details vary by location, but organizers come up with all kinds of ways to help visitors enjoy the blossoms, such as rows of food stalls, cherry tree light-ups, and music events.
Some areas open normally restricted zones for a limited time, so it’s a good idea to check the official website if you plan to go.
Well-known examples include Aomori’s “Hirosaki Sakura Festival,” Niigata’s “Takada Castle Site Park Cherry Blossom Viewing Festival,” and Tokyo’s “Ueno Sakura Festival.”
These sakura festivals are supported by city or ward efforts, and during bloom season they get crowded with many hanami visitors.

Landscaped by Tokugawa Nariaki, the ninth lord of the historic Mito Domain.
It is counted as one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens, alongside Kenrokuen in Kanazawa and Korakuen in Okayama.
The park spans approx. 13 hectares, with highlights throughout.
Past the East Gate stands Kobuntei, a wooden building with two stories and three tiers.
Its two-building design with shingle and thatch roofing has a simple yet refined atmosphere.
In early spring, approx. 3,000 plum trees of about 100 varieties reach their peak.
Every year from mid-February to late March, the “Mito Plum Festival” is held.

An urban park developed and used across an area that includes the nationally designated Special Historic Site “Osaka Castle Ruins.”
Within its vast 105.6-hectare grounds, in addition to Osaka Castle’s Main Tower, 13 Important Cultural Properties—such as turrets and gates built from the early to late Edo period—are scattered throughout.
Osaka Castle Park is known as a cherry blossom spot, but it also has a plum grove, making it a famous plum blossom spot as well.
In the approx. 1.7-hectare plum grove, about 1,270 plum trees of 104 varieties are planted.
From January to March, the view of red and white plum blossoms in full bloom with Osaka Castle in the background is truly a spring spectacle.

An urban park that traces its roots to a plum garden opened in 1886 by Motegi Sohei, a wealthy businessman from Yokohama.
In the spacious approx. 44,000 m² grounds along the Hatsukawa River, 469 plum trees of 60 varieties are planted, including old trees over 100 years in age, and each year the first blossoms bloom from late November to early December.
It is widely known as “Japan’s earliest-blooming plum blossoms.”
From January to March, as early-, mid-, and late-blooming varieties open in sequence, the “Atami Plum Festival” is held from early January to early March.

The Moss Phlox Hill at Hitsujiyama Park, located at the foot of Mt. Buko, the symbol of Chichibu City in Saitama Prefecture, between Chichibu City and Yokoze Town.
It’s a signature spring sightseeing spot in Chichibu, with the best season from mid-April through Golden Week in May.
A stunning flower corridor with a spectacular gradient, where colorful moss phlox is planted like a carpet.
The center is a valley, and by making use of the terrain, you can enjoy various views, such as looking over the whole area from higher ground or looking up from lower ground.

At Ashikaga Flower Park in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, you can enjoy seasonal flowers across eight themed areas: “Early Spring,” “Spring Flower Festival,” “Wisteria Story,” “Rainbow Garden,” “Blue & White Garden,” “Flower Fairies Floating on the Water,” “Purple Garden,” and “Garden of Flowers of Light.”
Among them, “Wisteria Story,” themed around wisteria—the park’s symbol and also designated a Natural Monument of Tochigi Prefecture—is especially popular, and from mid-April to mid-May, when four great wisteria trees and the white wisteria tunnel are at their best, the “Wisteria Story: Great Wisteria Festival” is held.

Uminonakamichi Seaside Park in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is surrounded by two seas: Hakata Bay and the Genkai Sea.
It has vast grounds of about 350 hectares, and its appeal is that you can enjoy nature and interact with animals throughout the year.
Here, we’d like to highlight “cherry blossoms” and “nemophila,” which are at their best from late March to mid-April.
Somei Yoshino and Oshima-zakura cherry trees bloom throughout the park, totaling 1,600 trees and giving visitors a grand welcome.
Among them, we recommend cycling refreshingly through a “cherry blossom” tunnel created by rows of trees.
Also, while the timing is a bit later, another highlight is that you can see unusual green and yellow “cherry blossoms.”
The blue nemophila spreading across the flower fields looks like a sea of flowers, making it perfect for photos.
You’ll be moved by the world where nemophila and the blue sky blend together, turning your entire view blue.
Also not to be missed is the spectacular collaboration of cherry blossoms and nemophila at Flower Hill.

With the snow-capped Northern Alps, a row of cherry trees along the Funakawa River, colorful tulips, and bright yellow rapeseed blossoms overlapping to create a spectacular view, Asahi Funakawa “Spring Quartet” is a popular spring landmark in Asahi Town, Toyama Prefecture.
The approx. 280 cherry trees blooming for 1,200 m along both banks were planted by local residents and carefully maintained, and it’s said that this scenery was born because, to match the cherry blossom season, they planted ultra-early tulip varieties (since tulip production was originally thriving), and also grew rapeseed blossoms to harvest canola oil.

A local railway connecting 17 stations across two cities and three towns, from Shimodate Station in Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture, to Motegi Station in Tochigi Prefecture, and it is cherished as an important public transportation option for local residents.
At the same time, it’s also known for earning strong support from railway fans nationwide through various projects aimed at regional revitalization, and the biggest topic for the company is its steam locomotive (SL) service.
In spring, rapeseed flowers and cherry blossoms bloom along the tracks, letting you enjoy the SL framed by vivid yellow and pink.

A collective name for two festivals: the spring Takayama Festival, the grand festival (reitaisai) of Hie Shrine called the Sanno Festival, and the autumn Takayama Festival, the grand festival of Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine called the Hachiman Festival. It is also known as one of Japan’s Three Most Beautiful Festivals.
The spring Takayama Festival is held on April 14 and 15.
The biggest highlight is the gorgeous, lavish festival floats (“yatai”). There are 12 in spring and 11 in autumn, and each is a valuable piece designated as an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.
They are approx. 6–8 m tall, with a three-tier structure: upper, middle, and lower levels. You can see traditional craft techniques throughout, including masterful carvings and large curtains embroidered down to the smallest details.

An annual festival held on May 15 at Shimogamo Shrine (Kamomioya Shrine) and Kamigamo Shrine (Kamowakeikazuchi Shrine) in Kyoto, and it is called one of Kyoto’s Three Great Festivals, alongside Gion Matsuri and Jidai Matsuri.
It originated from a ritual held around 1,500 years ago to pray for a rich harvest, and it’s a festival with deep history and tradition that appears in both The Pillow Book and The Tale of Genji. Its official name is Kamo Matsuri, and among Heian mid-period aristocrats, “festival” reportedly referred to Kamo Matsuri.

The grand festival of Kanda Shrine, also known as “Kanda Myojin.” It is counted as one of Japan’s Three Great Festivals, alongside Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri at Yasaka Shrine and Osaka’s Tenjin Matsuri at Osaka Tenmangu Shrine.
The biggest highlight of Kanda Matsuri is the “Shinkosai,” held on the Saturday closest to May 15 in the year of the main festival (honmatsuri).
A procession including mikoshi portable shrines parades through 108 neighborhoods in areas such as Kanda, Nihonbashi, Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Akihabara, purifying them.

Hinamatsuri is a traditional event held every year on March 3, celebrating girls’ happiness and healthy growth.
Because March 3 in the old lunar calendar was when peach blossoms were in bloom, it is also called the Peach Festival (“Momo no Sekku”).
It’s common to display hina dolls (special dolls dressed like Heian aristocrats) and peach and cherry blossoms, and to offer hina-arare, hishi-mochi, and amazake.
Parents also pray with heartfelt wishes to protect their child from misfortune and help them build a happy family in the future (to be blessed with a good partner).
On the day, families enjoy it by eating and drinking items like “shirozake,” and chirashi sushi.
Hinamatsuri is said to originate from “Joshi,” one of the five seasonal festivals introduced from China, and to have roots in Japan’s “nagashi-bina” custom (floating dolls down a river to ward off evil).
Over time, the dolls changed from something used to something displayed, and the current style became established in the Edo period.

Tango no Sekku is a traditional event held every year on May 5, celebrating the birth of boys while also wishing for their healthy growth and happiness.
In the old lunar calendar, “tan” meant the first, and “go” originally referred to the fifth month; later, since “go” can also be read as “go,” May 5 became Tango no Sekku.
Since it was established as the national holiday “Children’s Day” in 1948, it has become common to celebrate all children.
It also includes the purpose of thanking mothers.
On Tango no Sekku, children are celebrated with the following wishes in mind.

Sakura mochi is a Japanese sweet made by wrapping sweet red bean paste in a crepe-like skin (dough) made from ingredients such as wheat flour, then wrapping it in a salted pickled cherry leaf.
It’s also a seasonal word for spring and is often eaten at Hinamatsuri.
It features a vivid cherry-pink appearance and a gentle, pleasant aroma from the leaf.
It’s perfect for hanami and is enjoyed as a spring代表 Japanese sweet.
Sakura mochi is broadly divided into two types: the Kanto “Chomeiji” style and the Kansai “Domyoji” style.
Since the ingredients and appearance are completely different, if you have the chance, we hope you’ll compare and taste the difference.

Chirashi sushi is a type of sushi made by scattering various toppings (thin egg strips, simmered shiitake mushrooms, salmon roe, shrimp, lotus root, etc.) over vinegared rice.
It varies by region and household and is called by different names such as gomoku-zushi and bara-zushi.
It’s often made for celebrations and events, and it’s known for its colorful, festive look.
In particular, it’s eaten on March 3 for Hinamatsuri, so it has a strong image as a spring food.
Chirashi sushi uses auspicious ingredients, and the word “sushi” carries the meaning of “to preside over kotobuki (celebrations / long life).”
Because of this, it is said to have become something eaten on Hinamatsuri (an auspicious day).

Bamboo shoots, which come into season from March to May (*a representative variety is moso bamboo), are loved by Japanese people as a spring tradition.
They are characterized by a crisp texture and a distinctive aroma and flavor, and their taste changes in diverse ways depending on how they are cooked (simmered, grilled, fried).
Also, bamboo shoots contain plenty of components such as dietary fiber, protein, and potassium, and are also famous as a nutritious, low-calorie ingredient.
Japanese people enjoy spring flavors mainly in Japanese dishes like takikomi gohan, nimono (simmered dishes), and tempura.
*The peak season for bamboo shoots differs depending on the variety