[Spring Tokyo Travel Guide] Stunning Spring and Nature Spots to Discover in Cherry Blossom-Filled Tokyo

One of Tokyo’s most iconic sightseeing spots, it draws visitors from Japan and abroad in spring as a famous cherry blossom destination. The park, made up of Ueno Hill and Shinobazu Pond, lets you enjoy cherry blossom viewing while walking through scenery of greenery and waterfronts. Another highlight is the open, spacious setting, where you can naturally come across beautiful cherry blossom views as you stroll.
Nearby, you’ll also find Ueno Zoo, museums, and other cultural facilities, making it easy to stop by as part of your cherry blossom outing.

One of Tokyo’s most famous cherry blossom spots, with Approx. 260 cherry trees vividly lining the path. A promenade runs along the moat of the Imperial Palace, where you can enjoy a leisurely cherry blossom walk with beautiful waterfront views.
During the Chiyoda Sakura Festival, the blossoms are also illuminated at night, and the reflections on the water create a different kind of beauty from the daytime scene.

A historic park that spans Musashino City and Mitaka City in Tokyo.
There are Approx. 200 cherry trees around Inokashira Pond and Approx. 400 throughout the entire park, and it has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Best Cherry Blossom Spots. The sight of cherry trees stretching their branches out over the pond in full bloom is stunning, and the petals drifting down onto the water create an equally graceful and beautiful spring scene.
Just a little outside central Tokyo, this is a cherry blossom spot where you can experience the beauty of spring in a calm and relaxed atmosphere.

A Japanese garden once beloved by the successive shoguns of the Edo shogunate. Its “Shioiri-no-ike” tidal pond is filled with seawater, and its atmosphere changes with the ebb and flow of the tide.
In spring, Approx. 300,000 rape blossoms bloom from late February to late March in a typical year, adding bright seasonal color to this historic garden. Though located in central Tokyo, it is a sightseeing spot where history and nature come together in one beautiful setting.

A national park with vast grounds filled with greenery, waterfronts, and seasonal flowers.
Spread across an area roughly the size of 40 Tokyo Domes, the park features lawns, fountains, sports courts, gardens with flowers for every season, and ponds where you can observe waterside plant life.
In spring, tulips add color to the landscape, and at the 15,000-square-meter Flower Hill, poppies bloom across the entire area to create an open and expansive view.

A garden created as the residence of Toranosuke Furukawa, the third head of the Furukawa zaibatsu family. Taking advantage of its location on the slope of the Musashino Plateau, it is known for its combined Western and Japanese layout, with a Western-style mansion and Western garden above, and a Japanese garden below. The result is a unified landscape that brings together different garden styles.
In spring, roses bloom in the Western-style garden, adding vibrant color to the grounds.

A stroll garden with artificial hills and a central pond, located in Korakuen, Bunkyo City, Tokyo. Completed during the Edo period, it is known as one of Tokyo’s oldest feudal lord gardens and is said to have influenced garden design in many parts of Japan. The garden expresses scenes of the sea, mountains, rivers, and countryside, and its layout is designed so the scenery changes as you walk.
In spring, plum blossoms and cherry blossoms add color to the garden, followed by irises in early summer, making this a peaceful place for a stroll despite being in the heart of the city.

A Tokyo metropolitan park facing Tokyo Bay, where you can enjoy expansive views of the sea and sky.
Its vast grounds of Approx. 80 hectares are divided into five zones based on the theme of connecting greenery, water, and people: the aquarium zone, bird sanctuary zone, lawn plaza, Shiokaze Plaza, and observation plaza.
One of its spring charms is being able to walk through the spacious grounds while enjoying open seaside scenery. It is a sightseeing spot where everyone, from families to couples, can spend time in their own way.

A valley along the Tama River that is part of Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park. The area is known for its exceptional valley scenery and clear stream, which has also been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Waters. There are Approx. 4 km of walking paths along both banks of the Tama River, making it easy to enjoy a stroll while taking in seasonal scenery.
In spring, fresh greenery begins to emerge, and the river’s flow blends with the young leaves to create a refreshing walk unique to the season of new growth.

A Michelin three-star sightseeing destination and a mountain recommended for beginner hikers. Easy to reach from central Tokyo, it is popular year-round as a hiking spot.
In spring, fresh greenery begins to emerge, and one of the mountain’s charms is how pleasant it feels to walk along its well-maintained trails while enjoying the mountain air. If you use the cable car or lift, you can reach the summit in Approx. 1 hour, making for an easy and enjoyable mountain walk.

A river that flows through Setagaya City, Meguro City, and Shinagawa City in Tokyo before emptying into Tokyo Bay.
For Approx. 4 km along the river from around Ikejiri-Ohashi Station on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line to the Shimomeguro area, a row of cherry trees, centered on Approx. 800 Somei Yoshino trees, continues along the banks. During cherry blossom season, the trees are also illuminated at night, and the event is loved as a way to enjoy spring scenery while walking along the river.

A performance held at the Yasukuni Shrine Noh Stage, known as Tokyo’s oldest wooden Noh theater, timed to coincide with the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Noh, kyogen, and mai-bayashi are performed, allowing visitors to experience Japan’s traditional performing arts up close.
Another highlight is the chance to enjoy a special spring evening where cherry blossoms and Noh come together. Paid earphone guides are available in Japanese and English, so even first-time viewers can enjoy the performance with ease.

The annual grand festival of Asakusa Shrine, affectionately known as “Sanja-sama,” is also recognized as one of Japan’s representative festivals, drawing Approx. 1.8 million visitors over three days in a typical year.
During the festival, Asakusa’s various traditional dances, geisha performers’ tekomai dances, kumiodori, and more bring color to the streets in lively parades. On the final day, the three main mikoshi from the shrine are carried through the neighborhood and return to the shrine after sunset.
It is a vibrant festival that evokes the atmosphere of the Edo period.

A café that opened in July 2022 inside Ueno Park, Japan’s first urban park.
In a location surrounded by the Ueno forest, it offers dishes and drinks made with ingredients from Tokyo, including Tokyo-grown vegetables and Edomae ingredients. Along with its warm, wood-accented interior, the open terrace is especially pleasant on nice days, making it an easy stop during a walk in the park.

A long-established coffee shop founded in 1955 in Tokyo’s Jimbocho district, also known as a town of secondhand bookstores.
In a retro brick-style space wrapped in the atmosphere of a hidden hideaway, you can enjoy a relaxing café time with coffee, Western liquor, and colorful cream sodas.
It is also an easy place to stop by after enjoying a cherry blossom walk at Chidorigafuchi Green Way.

A renovated facility based on the Tokyo Suijo Club boat dock, originally established in 1918, with a location that seems to jut out over the historic outer moat waterfront.
The facility is divided into two areas, the restaurant side and the deck side, making it suitable for everything from full meals to casual café visits. In spring, the changing season is reflected in the waters of the outer moat, and its easy-to-stop-by location during a stroll is another draw.

A famous tsukemen shop located in front of the bus rotary at the south exit of Mitaka Station.
A branch of Tsukemen TETSU, known as one of the pioneers of the tsukemen boom, it is located on the first floor of the station building at Mitaka Station’s south exit. Its signature features are a rich soup based on pork bones and chicken stock, blended with seafood flavors such as dried sardines and bonito flakes, along with medium-thick noodles made from TETSU’s original flour. The shop is also known for its unique TETSU “yaki-ishi,” a heated stone used to warm the soup back up.
It is a reliable place to stop when you want a satisfying meal during a walk around Inokashira Park or the Kichijoji area.

A restaurant located near Takaosanguchi Station.
With a full menu that includes authentic Neapolitan pizza baked in a stone oven, fresh homemade pasta, and handmade desserts, it is a great place to satisfy your appetite after hiking. Guests who dine in can also enjoy a footbath, making it a distinctive place where you can relax and ease post-hike fatigue along with your meal.

A classic hotel located inside the Marunouchi station building of Tokyo Station. The Marunouchi station building, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property and one of Tokyo’s iconic landmarks, was restored in 2012 to its original appearance. One of the hotel’s unique features is that it offers guest rooms inside this historic station building, allowing you to stay within a cultural heritage space.
With its direct connection to the station, it offers easy access to destinations across Tokyo and works well as a base for sightseeing.

A historic hotel that opened in 1952. This prestigious property has earned four stars for eight consecutive years in both the hotel and spa categories from a U.S. rating publication. One of its great charms is its expansive garden, where you can enjoy seasonal scenery during your stay.
The standard guest room, the “Prime Superior,” offers 45 square meters of space, and another feature is the choice of different views, including garden views and city views.
It also offers convenient access to destinations across central Tokyo, making it an easy base for sightseeing.

A city hotel offering 200 guest rooms in a wide variety of styles. With options including suites, executive rooms, corner rooms, and rooms on higher floors, it is easy to choose a room that suits the purpose of your stay. Its chic interiors, indirect lighting, sound-insulated design, and use of natural materials create a calm and comfortable environment.
It is also convenient as a base for accessing Mt. Takao, which is popular with hikers visiting from overseas.