The pictures show a street with cherry blossom and the same street one week later.
Cherry blossom time is March/April in Japan. The blossoms open first in the south of the country (warmer) and gradually the blossoming spreads north as spring weather approaches.
On the internet, you can find many websites with maps giving the latest details of where blossoms are opening or the expected dates they will open. (And often TV weather reports will show those maps).
Unfortunately for those of us wanting to visit Japan and see cherry blossoms in full bloom (“mankai”),
- The blossoming times are different every year, so it’s impossible to guarantee that your holiday booked six months previously will coincide with full bloom
- The best blossoms don’t last long… only about a week in any one location.
So it’s easy to completely miss out or see only the beginning or tail end of the blossoming.
The ideal would be if you are totally flexible with your travel plan and can easily change cities (and hotels) as you chase cherry blossoms by heading north or south depending on where they are blooming. I know – not very practical.
Japan Tourist Tips 