Spring Scenery Where Cherry Blossoms Meet History: 9 Best Hanami Spots in Nara

According to the forecast released on January 8, 2026 by the private weather company Nippon Weather Co., Ltd. (Japanese), the expected first bloom and full bloom dates for 2026 are shown below. The best viewing time is expected to be from April 1 to April 8.
The cherry blossoms in neighboring Osaka and Kyoto usually peak around the same time, making this a great period for a cherry blossom trip around the Kansai region.

Koriyama Castle Ruins is located in Yamato Koriyama City in northern Nara Prefecture.
This historic area, typical of ancient Nara, was once the site of a large castle built in the 16th century by a powerful warlord.
Although the main keep no longer remains, the grounds have been developed as Koriyama Castle Ruins Park with walking paths.
Parts of the original structure, including the inner moat and stone walls, are still in good condition, and several gates and turrets have been reconstructed, allowing visitors to feel the atmosphere of the samurai era in the 16th–17th centuries.
In spring, Approx. 800 cherry trees planted along the moats bloom all at once, encircling the entire castle.
The whole Koriyama Castle Ruins area turns a soft shade of pink.
The Yamato Koriyama Castle Festival is held during the blooming season, and the trees are illuminated at night during the event.
Enjoy the romantic combination of cherry blossoms and castle after dark.

The famous weeping cherry tree known as Matabei Zakura stands in Uda City on the eastern side of Nara Prefecture. Its name comes from Goto Matabei, a samurai who was active in the 16th century.
According to legend, Goto Matabei was a brave warrior who once challenged an army of Approx. 20,000 soldiers with just 2,800 men, but was ultimately defeated and fled to this area.
Said to be the place where Matabei spent his final days, the site is home to the Matabei Zakura, a giant tree Approx. 300 years old, with a trunk circumference of about 3 m and a height of about 13 m.
Branches heavy with blossoms spill over the surrounding stone walls like a waterfall, creating a breathtaking scene. The blossoms of nearby peach, magnolia, and rapeseed flowers add even more color.
This picture-perfect landscape, once used in the opening of a TV drama, attracts 50,000–60,000 visitors during peak season who come to capture it in photos.
The Matabei Zakura Festival is also held to coincide with the blooming period.

Ono-dera is a branch temple of Muro-ji located at its western main gate in northeastern Nara Prefecture.
This riverside temple stands along the Uda River and is famous for the stone Buddha carved into the rock face on the opposite bank.
The carving is a 45‑foot‑tall Miroku Magaibutsu (a rock-carved Maitreya Buddha), said to have been created over 800 years ago.
Ono-dera is also known for its weeping cherry trees: two trees are over 300 years old, and more than 10 others are approx. 100 years old. They attract many visitors when in full bloom.
The view of the rock carving framed by the weeping cherry blossoms is overwhelmingly beautiful and powerful.
Around the peak bloom period, the area is illuminated from sunset until around 9:00 pm, creating an even more mystical atmosphere.

Mount Yoshino refers to the series of ridges that stretch from the south bank of the Yoshino River in central Nara Prefecture toward the Omine mountain range.
The name also refers to the wider area dotted with shrines and temples centered around Kinpusen-ji Temple.
The Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, which include Mount Yoshino, are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the entire Mount Yoshino area is inscribed on the list.
It is known as Japan’s most famous cherry blossom spot. In spring, the blossoms gradually open from the Shimo Senbon (lower area) and move up the mountain to the Oku Senbon (inner area), coloring all of Mount Yoshino.
Around 30,000 cherry trees are planted here, and after sunset they are beautifully illuminated, creating a magical and picturesque atmosphere.

Nara Park is home to precious historical and cultural sites such as Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Kofuku-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, the Nara National Museum, and the Shosoin Repository, all surrounded by vast, lush greenery.
Located in the heart of the city, it offers excellent access to major sightseeing spots.
Many natural features here are designated natural monuments, including the Kasugayama Primeval Forest (a Special Natural Monument), the Nara deer, the Nagi evergreen forest within the precincts of Kasuga Taisha, the Chisokuin Nara-no-yae-zakura cherry tree, and the habitat of the butterfly species Luehdorfia japonica.
Approx. 1,700 cherry trees are planted throughout the expansive grounds, and different varieties come into bloom one after another from early March to early May.
Nara Park is also famous for its wild deer. In spring, you can see relaxed scenes of deer gathering under the fully bloomed cherry trees.
While there is no dedicated cherry blossom illumination in Nara Park, Ukimido Pavilion and Sagiike Pond are lit up, softly highlighting the surrounding blossoms.

One of Japan’s most famous Kannon (Bodhisattva of Mercy) temples, surrounded by lush mountains.
Standing halfway along the ancient Hase Kaido road that once connected Yamato Province with Ise, it is even mentioned in the “Manyoshu” anthology as “Komoriku no Hase.”
Climb the long covered staircase of 399 steps to reach the Main Hall.
This cliffside Main Hall, a National Treasure with a traditional irimoya roof and tile roofing, offers spectacular views from its stage-like veranda jutting out over the precipice.
During cherry blossom season, step out onto the balcony for a sweeping view of Approx. 1,000 cherry trees in full bloom across the grounds.
From late March to early May, you can enjoy a long-lasting hanami season as different varieties, including Somei Yoshino, wild mountain cherry, and Nara no Yaezakura, bloom in succession.

One of Japan’s oldest temples, founded as the clan temple of the Abe family by Abe no Kurahashimaro, who became Minister of the Left during the Taika Reform in 645.
It is also known as the birthplace of Abe no Nakamaro, an envoy to Tang China in the Nara period, and Abe no Seimei, the famed onmyoji (court diviner) of the Heian period.
In spring, Approx. 500 Somei Yoshino cherry trees planted across the grounds bloom all at once.
Head up to the observatory, known as the site where Abe no Seimei observed the stars, and during cherry blossom season you can look down over a carpet of blossoms filling the temple grounds.
You can also see the distant Yamato Sanzan (the Three Mountains of Yamato), making for a grand and open panoramic view.

Said to be Japan’s oldest shrine, Omiwa Shrine is dedicated to Omononushi-no-Okami and venerates Mount Miwa itself as its sacred object.
There is no main hall; instead, worshippers pray to Mount Miwa through the triple torii gate located behind the worship hall, preserving the original form of ancient Shinto worship.
The triple torii and the worship hall, rebuilt in 1664 by Tokugawa Ietsuna, are both designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan.
Around the shrine grounds, you’ll find approx. 100 Somei Yoshino, weeping cherry, and wild cherry trees.
There is a small hill with an observation spot on the northwest side of the worship hall, and viewing the blossoms in the precincts from there is highly recommended.
The cherry blossoms on sacred Mount Miwa create a magnificent scene together with the Grand Torii Gate and the three Yamato mountains.

This historic temple stands on Mount Tsubosaka, overlooking Mount Yoshino, one of Japan’s most famous cherry blossom spots to the south, and the Nara Basin, homeland of the Manyō poetry, to the north.
It is counted among the scenic spots of Yamato, appearing in classic Heian-period works such as “The Pillow Book” and “The Tale of Konjaku.”
According to the temple chronicle “Nanbokkaji Korōden,” the temple originated in 703, when the monk Benki of Gangō-ji, who was training on this mountain, enshrined his cherished jar in a hermitage on the slope and carved a statue of Kannon to worship there.

Famed as a cherry blossom destination, Tsubosaka-dera in spring is filled with blossoms that seem to embrace the Great Buddha of Tsubosaka, with approx. 300 cherry trees surrounding the temple precincts and buildings.