First 2014 Cherry Blossom Forecast for Japan Released

Jan 26 | Evan | 1 Comment |

Cherry blossom season in Japan for 2014 is over… Too bad, but if you missed it, why not see the cherry blossoms in Japan with Japan Photo Guide in 2015! The first sakura (cherry blossom) forecast for 2015 will be released around January 2015

Cherry blossom season is a magical time in Japan when the different kinds of sakura start blooming in the southern parts of Japan and move their way up the country.   Like most forecasts related to the weather, the cherry blossom forecast is a best guess at best.  Cold weather before the sakura bloom can effect it and once they bloom, heavy rain can really shorten this already tight window to view and take photos of cherry blossoms in Japan.

If you have planned your 2014 Spring trip to Japan around the average cherry blossom blooming dates, I have some good news!  The Yomiuri Shimbun has published an article with a forecast for the southern parts of Japan saying that average or earlier blooming is forecasted for this year:

2014 Cherry Blossom opening/first bloom date forecast, best viewing date is typically 5 – 7 days after first bloom:

Fukuoka – March 20
Nagoya –  March 23
Tokyo – March 24
Osaka – March 25
Kyoto – March 25

 

Updated February 12th

Fukuoka – March 22
Matsuyama – March 24
Hiroshima – March 26
Nagoya –  March 27
Osaka – March 27
Kyoto – March 27
Tokyo – March 29

Updated February 28th

Fukuoka – March 22
Matsuyama – March 24
Hiroshima – March 25
Nagoya –  March 26
Osaka – March 28
Kyoto – March 28
Tokyo – March 29

Updated March 5th

Fukuoka – March 23
Matsuyama – March 25
Hiroshima – March 25
Nagoya –  March 26
Osaka – March 29
Kyoto – March 28
Tokyo – March 31
Sendai – April 13
Sapporo – May 5

Updated March 12th

Fukuoka – March 22
Matsuyama – March 24
Hiroshima – March 25
Nagoya –  March 26
Osaka – March 29
Kyoto – March 28
Tokyo – March 30
Sendai – April 12
Sapporo – May 5

Updated March 19th

Fukuoka – March 20
Matsuyama – March 24
Hiroshima – March 25
Nagoya –  March 25
Osaka – March 28
Kyoto – March 27
Tokyo – March 28
Sendai – April 12
Sapporo – May 4

Tenki.jp has released their 2014 cherry blossom forecast for Japan.  The link is in Japanese, but you can translate via google translate.   Although, JNTO has began updating their site in English, so you may as well start there for cherry blossom forecast details!

Japan Photo Guide Recommends: Going to Japan now, HUGE flight sale!

Mar 03 | Evan | No Comments |

It appears that American Airlines and Delta are in some kind of price war for flights to Asia this spring.  I’ve never seen round trip flights go below $900 USD, but right now Delta and AA both have round trip flights starting less than $700 from certain cities on certain days.  Lowest I found was $683 on Delta but other days could be lower.  If you were considering going to Japan this spring, or Asia for that matter, now this certainly should help you decide!  WIth the extra money you saved on your flight, of course I’d recommend to put it towards hiring an awesome tour guide for your trip! ;-)

 

Japan Photo Guide Recommends: Sapporo Snow Festival

Feb 03 | Evan | No Comments |

Japan has many festivals throughout the year, but honestly, most of them share a lot of similar elements (parades, fireworks, carrying portable shrines) and tend to be somewhat overrated *cough* Gion Matsuri *cough*. That being said, there are certainly some incredible festivals that make for some unique and wonderful experiences. My favorite one is probably the Sapporo Snow Festival.  The Sapporo Snow Festival, is of course, in Sapporo and occurs each year at the begining of February.  The 2011 Sapporo Snow Festival starts February 7th, 2011 and ends on the 13th of February,

Before I talk about traveling to Sapporo for the festival, let’s talk about Sapporo the city.  Sapporo is one of my favorite cities in Japan.  It’s easy to understand and get around Sapporo and while Sapporo is a large city, it’s not nearly as overwhelming as Tokyo.  Also, the food in Sapporo is incredible, especially the seafood (not that anywhere in Japan really has bad seafood) and their famous Sapporo stlye ramen, miso butter corn ramen to be exact.  Whether you are eating lunch on a cold day, or capping off a night with friends, Sapporo Ramen hits the spot.   More

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