Tohoku, Japan’s hidden gem, offers stunning landscapes, rich culture, and unforgettable seasonal experiences. From serene rural settings to historical landmarks, the region is especially magical during the cherry blossom season.
Ready to explore the best hanami spots with our Tohoku Cherry Blossom Guide?
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Our global editorial team living in Japan will introduce the country’s charms based on what we have experienced and felt.
Table of Contents
By the way, if you plan to explore cherry blossoms in other regions, don’t miss our other guides!
🌸Tokyo Cherry Blossom Guide: The Best Sakura in the City
🌸Kyushu Cherry Blossom Guide: Best Spots for Viewing this Sakura this Spring!
🌸Chuugoku and Shikoku Cherry Blossom Guide: Must-Visit Hanami Spots
🌸Chubu Cherry Blossom Guide: Top Sakura Spots for Spring 2025
Tohoku Cherry Blossom Guide 2025
Cherry blossoms, or sakura, are a beloved symbol of Japan, embodying the fleeting beauty of spring with their delicate petals and vibrant hues.
In the Tohoku region, the cherry blossoms bloom a little later than in other parts of Japan, creating a magical opportunity to enjoy the blossoms long after they’ve faded elsewhere.
Discover the charm of Tohoku’s sakura season and soak in the beauty of spring!
Where is Tohoku?
The Tohoku Region, Japan’s “North-east” area, is known for its unspoiled rural landscapes, historical treasures, and stunning seasonal changes. It includes six prefectures in northern Honshu: Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi, and Fukushima. Each prefecture offers a unique blend of mountains, lakes, hot springs, and rich cultural heritage. The region is also well-known for its high quality rice production. It contributes to 25% of Japan’s total output. And the region’s rough winters are famous for endless powder snow.
Tohoku cherry blossom season arrives later than in other regions, providing a tranquil, rural setting for hanami when other areas’ petals have already fallen. The region’s deep-rooted customs and recent history make it a captivating place to experience both cherry blossoms and Japan’s cultural spirit.
Types of Sakura
Japan is home to more than 200 species of sakura, and the Tohoku region is home to a diverse array of cherry blossom varieties. These range from popular types like somei yoshino and shidarezakura, to rarer varieties like the yellow ukon and the one-of-a-kind Miyamakasugi-zakura.
Here are some of the most common (and rare) cherry blossom species in the region and where to find them:
Map of Tohoku Cherry Blossom Spots
Aomori
Season: Mid-April to early May
Aomori offers several unique attractions, including one of the few Snow Monster locations on Hakkoda Mountain. Here visitors can witness the breathtaking snow-covered trees. The prefecture also features fresh, delicious Aomori seafood, celebrated for its quality. Aomori is also home to Osorezan Mountain. This showcases a striking, hellish landscape that contrasts beautifully with the peaceful surroundings.
Aomori is also home to Hirosaki Castle, a symbol of the area’s samurai heritage. Come spring, the castle’s thousands of cherry blossom trees create a spectacle. Additionally, Aomori is known for its crisp apples, making it a must-visit destination for nature, history, and culinary delights.
Top Spots for Hanami:
Ashino Park
This park, located in Kanagi Town, Goshogawara City, is part of the larger Ashino Chisehogun Prefectural Natural Park, where visitors can rent a rowboat on the lake or walk across the scenic suspension bridge.
Ashino Park features 1,500 cherry blossom trees, including varieties like somei yoshino and satozakura. One of the park’s highlights is experiencing the local train passing through the tunnel of cherry blossoms.
Families can enjoy the children’s zoo and car campsite, and the park also hosts a cherry blossom festival during Golden Week in early May. By then, cherry blossoms have scattered across most of Japan, but Aomori’s unique location means peak sakura season starts in late April, making the park perfect for viewing Tohoku cherry blossoms.
🕛Opening Hours: 24 hours
🚶Access: From Omachi bus stop, walk 6 minutes and take the Tsugaru Tetsudo train, which takes you to Ashino Park Station (Ashinokoen)
🌐Official Website: Goshogawara City Sightseeing
National Historic Site of Sannohe Castle Ruins Shiroyama Park
Originally established by the Nanbu Clan during the Sengoku Period, the castle on-site fell into ruin in 1634 but was restored in 1967.
Today, the park serves as a local history museum and provides a peaceful space to reflect on the city’s heritage.
Selected as one of Japan’s “100 Best Historical Parks,” it features the History and Folklore Museum.
The park also includes a deer park where deer roam freely, and a children’s plaza, making it perfect for families.
In spring, over 1,600 cherry trees bloom, including somei yoshino, yaezakura, shidarezakura, and ukon. The park hosts a spring festival with food stalls, and visitors can enjoy a variety of other seasonal flowers in bloom.
🕛Opening Hours: 24 hours
🚶Access: 15~20-minute walk from Sannohe Town Hall bus stop or 10-minute taxi ride from Aoimori Railway Sannohe Station
🌐Official Website: Sannohe Town
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Akita
Season: Mid-April to early May
Akita, bordered by both the seas and mountains, is a region that embraces its rustic charms. The area is deeply rooted in farm culture and is renowned for its exceptional sake breweries, some of the best in Japan.
It is also home to Kakunodate, one of the country’s best-preserved samurai districts, offering a glimpse into Japan’s feudal past.
Beyond its historical treasures, Akita is home to various unique hanami spots, where visitors can enjoy cherry blossoms in a serene setting. With the prefecture’s rich cultural traditions, hanami in Akita offers a perfect blend of nature, heritage, and local spirit.
Top Spots for Hanami:
Kakunodate Samurai Residence Street:
Kakunodate Samurai Residence Street is one of two famous sakura spots in Akita. It is located in the city’s old samurai district, which is famous for its weeping shidarezakura. These trees line the streets and garden gates with blossoms, creating a stunning display during sakura season.
The street has remained essentially unchanged since the Edo period, with many original samurai manors still standing.
As the shidarezakura trees arch over the fences and gates, they frame both sides of the street.
Today, around 400 trees stand in the gardens, though the town’s cherry blossom legacy began with just three. The wife of the second lord of Kakunodate brought three saplings with her as part of her belongings.
Visitors can hail rickshaws and enjoy a ride through the historical streets, immersing themselves in the charm of this ancient town during the spring blooms.
🕛Opening Hours: 24 hours for walking around
🚶Access: 20-minute walk from JR Kakunodate Station
🌐Official Website: Samurai Akita
Hinokinai River
The second famous sakura spot in Kakunodate is along the Hinokinai River, where somei yoshino cherry blossom trees line a 2-kilometer stretch of the river’s embankment.
This feature dates back to 1934 when around 400 trees were planted by local residents to honor the birth of the former Emperor Akihito.
Visitors can enjoy a peaceful stroll along the river, surrounded by the blossoms, and for a traditional experience, they can rent a kimono from the Hiakara Costume Experience.
🕛Opening Hours: 24 hours, night time cherry blossoms: Sunset to 24:00 (during hanami season)
🚶Access: 20-minute walk from JR Kakunodate Station
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Iwate
Season: Mid-April to Early May
Iwate is Japan’s second-largest land area. The prefecture is uncommonly rich in folklore and traditional culture, which can be seen in the all-female Ama sea divers, who continue an ancient tradition of harvesting seafood. It also boasts some of the nation’s best natural landscapes, with spots like Genbikei Gorge and Jodogahama Beach.
Spring in Iwate is just as magical as its folklore. Plum blossoms garnish the landscape, followed by sakura soon after.
Top Spots for Hanami:
Morioka Castle Ruins Park
This giant castle used to dominate the Morioka skyline, but now a park has taken its place. The original buildings are gone, but the memories of the castle live on in its stone walls and a storehouse.
Morioka Castle Ruins Park was selected as one of the “100 Best Historical Parks in Japan,” and is one of the best hanami spots in the prefecture. Around 200 cherry trees of oyamazakura, edohigan, somei yoshino, satozakura, and many other varieties will bloom come springtime.
🕛Opening Hours: 24 hours
🚶Access: 15-minute walk from Morioka Station
🌐Official Website: Morioka Castle Park
Kitakami Tenshochi Park
Kitakami Tenshochi Park’s Sakura Festival offers various features for guests to enjoy, including koinobori (carp streamers) setting across the Kitakami River, riverboat cruises, and horse-drawn carriage rides.
Visitors can go for a stroll along the Kitakami River and experience the view of over 10,000 cherry blossom trees that line the 2-kilometer walking path that begins at Sango-Bashi Bridge.
The park is considered to be one of the “Top 3 Cherry Blossom Sites in the Tohoku Region!” It features over 150 types of cherry blossoms, including somei yoshino and kasumizakura.
🕛Opening Hours: 24 hours
🚶Access: 20-minute walk from the east exit of Kitakami Station
🌐Official Website: Kitabura
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Yamagata
Season: Mid-April to early May
Yamagata, situated on the Japan Sea coast of the Tohoku region, is surrounded by oceans and mountains. It is home to Yamadera Temple, known for its 1,000 steps, and its holy mountains, which when combined with its traditional geisha culture results in its unique rural beauty.
The nation’s best cherries can also be found in Yamagata, accounting for 70% of the national production. Yonezawa beef, a local source of wagyu pride, also comes out of Yamagata.
In spring, it is home to several rare cherry trees that can only be found in Yamagata.
Top Spots for Hanami:
Tendo Park
Located in central Tendo City on Mt. Maizuru, come spring, Tendo Park is covered in approximately 2,000 cherry blossom trees of somei yoshino and edohigan varieties. Some of these trees are said to be around 400 years old.
The park overlooks the summit with views of Mt. Gassan, the Asahi mountain range, and Mogami River, making for picturesque views.
Be sure to visit to witness their annual Sakura Festival, which features a human shogi event!
🕛Opening Hours: 24 hours
🚶Access: 20-minute walk from Tendo Station, or 40-minute walk from Tendominami Station
🌐Official Website: Tendo Sightseeing
Miyamakasumi-zakura
Miyamakasumi-zakura is one of Miyagi’s unique cherry blossoms, found only in Yamagata City Park Yasoen.
This one-of-a-kind flower was discovered by park staff in 2004 when they noticed one of the trees was different from the others.
It shares the distinct characteristics of kasumi-zakura (petals with split ends) and the miyama-zakura (flowers on the tips of branches) that helped to determine that this was a natural hybrid of the miyama-zakura and kasumi-zakura. Though it wasn’t named until August 2012.
🕛Opening Hours: from April to May 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
🚶Access: 30-minute walk from JR Yamagata Station
🌐Official Website: Tendo Park Yasouen
Don’t let connectivity issues stop you–Explore Tohoku’s cherry blossom spots with confidence.
Many people in Japan are kind and will do their best to help you if you need anything, but even accepting help is easier when you have a reliable. Staying connected during your journey can be challenging, as free Wi-Fi isn’t always available in Japan.
Use Sakura Mobile’s travel SIM/eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi to stay connected and make the most of your trip!
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Miyagi
Season: Early to late April
Miyagi is considered the main gateway into the Tohoku region, serving as the hub for all roads and rail transport in the region.
It boasts its many nature experiences, including Zao Fox Village, where foxes roam freely, and various hot spring resorts and natural spots for everyone to enjoy.
Spring is the best season for enjoying the nature and outdoor activities that Miyagi has to offer because the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom!
Top Spots for Hanami:
Funaoka Castle Ruins Park
Funaoka Castle Ruins Park is where the former Funaoka castle stood until the Meiji Restoration. During spring, visitors can experience a 305-meter retro train ride on a cherry blossom mountain.
They can also enjoy the hanami along the Shibata Senokyo Bridge built to link the park with the banks of the Shiroishi River. Or even cross it and experience hitome senbon (“a thousand cherry trees at a glance”).
The castle park is home to about 1,000 cherry trees of the somei yoshino variety. But combined with the Shiroishi River, visitors can experience over 2,000 cherry blossom trees in full bloom!
🕛Opening Hours: 24 hours
🚶Access: 15-minute walk from Funaoka Station
🌐Official Website: Shibata Town
Hiyoriyama Park
Hiyoriyama Park sits atop a small hill 56 meters above sea level in central Ishinomaki City.
The park features a chalk-white hexagonal lighthouse, one of Japan’s oldest wooden lighthouses, which has become a popular symbol of the park.
Visitors can also see the Kitamaebune Boat, a half-scale model ship and the largest in Japan. Known as the Sengokubune, this boat vessel could carry 1,000 koku (150 tons of rice).
During the spring, visitors can enjoy the large grass field surrounded by cherry trees with varieties such as somei yoshino, shidarezakura, and wild yamazakura. The park is home to 400 cherry trees, making it a beautiful place to explore.
🕛Opening Hours: 24 hours
🚶Access: 20~35-minute walk from Ishinomaki Station
🌐Official Website: Ishinomaki City
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Fukushima
Season: early to late April
Fukushima is the third largest of Japan’s prefectures and is known as the “fruit kingdom” of the nation.
It is the leading center for traditional kokeshi doll craft, and home to the revered kitakata ramen.
Within the Tohoku Region, Fukushima is the southernmost prefecture, and its Hanami can be enjoyed from early to late April, and sometimes even into May because of the geographical climates of each of the areas within the prefecture. You can have a great Tohoku cherry blossom experience while enjoying the region’s ramen!
Top Spots for Hanami:
Kasumigajo Park
Kasumigajo Park is home to the ruins of Nihonmatsu Castle, which was built in 1643 by Mitsuhige Niwa. The castle served as the residence of the lord of the Nihonmatsu domain and held strategic importance for the Tokugawa Shogunate forces.
Nihonmatsu castle fell during the Boshin War, and in 1872, the ruins were demolished. However, the gate and the turret were rebuilt in 1982, while the stone walls remain as the only structures from the original castle.
The park is home to 2,500 trees, including varieties such as somei yoshino, yamazakura, and oshimazakura. In 1948, the area was designated as Fukushima Prefectural Natural Park and named “Kasumigajo Castle Park,” inspired by the mist-like profusion of pink petals during the cherry blossoms bloom.
🕛Opening Hours: 24 hours
🚶Access: 20-minute walk from Nihonmatsu Station
🌐Official Website: Nihonmatsu Tourism Federation
Miharu Takizakura
Miharu Takizakura is a nationally recognized natural monument and one of Japan’s three most famous cherry trees. The other most famous cherry trees are Usuzumizakura in Gifu and Jindaizakura in Yamanashi.
Estimated to be over a thousand years old, Mihari Takizakura stands 13.5 meters high, with a trunk measuring 11.3 meters in circumference.
Its name, “waterfall cherry tree,” comes from the way its heavy boughs cascade down, supported by wooden beams. This tree is an edohigan type of shidarezakura, known for its graceful, weeping branches.
🕛Opening Hours: 24 hours
🚶Access: Temporary bus service is offered between Miharu Station and the Miharu Takizakura (~25 minutes).
🌐Official Website: Find! Miharu
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Hanami Tips
📅Timing: Check the bloom forecasts and plan your visit to catch the blossoms at their peak.
✅Check the Rules: Not all parks allow you to barbecue, drink alcohol, or picnic. Be sure to review the rules on your destination’s official website.
🌅Arrive Early: Get the best viewing spots by arriving early! Spread out a picnic blanket or mat and claim your spot!
👜Essentials: Bring a picnic blanket, food and drinks, and warm clothing for chilly evenings. Since some parks may not have trash bins, remember also to pack a plastic bag for your trash.
😋Local Foods: Don’t miss sakura-themed treats 🌸 like sakura mochi🍡. During hanami season, each prefecture may offer its own unique seasonal foods to enjoy!
Respect the Trees: 🚫Don’t pull on tree branches or pick the flowers!
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Conclusion
Whether you’re a history buff, nature lover or simply in search of the perfect picnic spot under the sakura trees, Tohoku has it all! So pack your bags, grab a picnic blanket, and get ready to fall in love with the charm of Japan’s north-east, a place where every season tells its own magical story.
We hope our Tohoku Cherry Blossom Guide has given you ideas for your next spring adventure!
Happy Hanami Hunting!🌸
But what about connecting to Wi-Fi when you’re chilling at the park?
🌸For seamless travel experience, consider Sakura Mobile’s travel SIM or pocket Wi-Fi options! We’ll keep you connected while navigating Tohoku’s top cherry blossom spots– perfect for sharing your hanami adventures and staying informed about bloom updates!
Related Articles: Be sure to check out our related blogs for more travel tips and inspiration!
And keep an eye out for more hanami guides in the future.
