Best things to do and places to visit in Japan in April
Check out the best things to do in Japan in April! There are numbers of beautiful sights and activities that can be enjoyed only in April. I’m going to introduce 10 things you should definitely add to your bucket list if you are travelling in Japan in April. Don’t miss the best highlights of Japanese spring 🙂
1. Cherry Blossom Viewing
The top highlight of Japan, cherry blossoms (Sakura in Japanese) fascinate visitors to Japan from all around the world. Don’t miss to visit some of top sakura viewing spots in Japan for the most spectacular spring scenery! Numbers of cherry blossom festivals are also held in cities across Japan during the season. Check out the links below to find out the best time and places to see cherry blossoms and amazing viewing spots in Japan!
▶ Japan Cherry Blossom Forecast
▶ Best Places to View Cherry Blossoms in Japan
-Hanami Party
Hanami means cherry blossom viewing in Japanese and it’s a part of spring culture among Japanese people for many centuries. People have Hanami parties at parks with picnic, enjoy drinking with friends and family under cherry trees during the season.
Some of famous cherry blossom viewing spots like Ueno Park and Yoyogi Park tend to get very busy during the blooming period. Normally they leave plastic blue sheets to reserve their space early in the morning and start Hanami party from day to night. Get your bento box and drinks and party like Japanese with beautiful cherry blossoms!
Recommended places to have Hanami in Tokyo ▶ Best Places to See Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo
– Enjoy Yozakura
Yozakura means cherry blossoms at night. In Japan, people enjoy watching cherry blossoms at day and night and there are many places holding illuminations of cherry trees during the season. Here are list of top Yozakura spots in Japan!
Best Yozakura Spots
▶ Top 5 Spots in Japan for Cherry Blossom Night Viewing
▶ 5 Best Places to See Night Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo
2. Strawberry Dessert Buffet
If you are a foodie or has a sweet tooth, you can’t miss this time of year in Japan to taste the premium Japanese strawberries! Japanese strawberries are in season from late winter to spring and you can find many strawberry products during the season. One of the most popular way to enjoy Japanese strawberries is strawberry dessert buffets, which are held at numbers of venues mostly in luxury hotels. Each venue offers a variety of high-quality and creative strawberry desserts and visitors can enjoy them as much as they like!
Related article ▶ Best Strawberry Buffets in Tokyo
3. Eat SAKURA Sweets
During the cherry blossom season in Japan, people enjoy cherry blossoms not only by viewing but also tasting the flavour of them. Many shops, cafes and restaurants offer limited-time cherry blossom flavour sweets and drinks during the season. There are also many products featuring cherry blossom themes with pastel pink petal motif.
Related article ▶ Sakura Food and Drinks in Japan
Starbucks Japan produces various seasonal theme merchandise through the year, and their most popular collection is the SAKURA theme, which is available only during spring time. The Starbucks Japan SAKURA collection is out from February and available till it’s sold out. Collect the cutest pink items as much as you can!
Limited SAKURA items by Starbucks Japan ▶ Starbucks Japan Sakura Tumblers and Mugs
4. Strawberry Picking
One of the most popular activities in spring is strawberry picking. Japanese strawberries are really sweet and tasty. Besides dessert buffet, strawberry picking is a great way to indulge sweet and plumped Japanese strawberries. There are numbers of strawberry farms around Tokyo offering strawberry picking with all-you-can-eat style 😉
Related article ▶ Best Strawberry Picking Farms near Tokyo
5. Join Spring Festivals
The festival season in Japan starts from April and numbers of traditional festivals are held throughout spring and summer. Joining a Japanese festival is possibly the best way to feel Japanese tradition, culture and local vibes. In spring, some traditional festival can be enjoyed together with beautiful cherry blossoms. Join them if you are around and have the most extraordinary experience 😉
Related article ▶ Japan’s 3 biggest spring festivals in April
6. Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a mountain sightseeing route which opens for a limited time from mid April to November. The route passes through the Northern Apls mountains between Tateyama in Toyama Prefecture and Omachi in Nagano Prefecture. It’s 37km long and can be travelled by 7 different transportation methods including cable car, ropeway and bus. One of the highlight of the route is the Great Snow Wall, which reaches up to 20m high. It can be seen before snow melts which is typically by the end of May.
Related article ▶ Guide to Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
7. Watch Japanese Professional Baseball Games
Baseball has been the most popular sport in Japan for many decades, so how about watching a world-class baseball game with an enthusiastic atmosphere while in Japan? The league is kicking off at the end of March through October, and games are held at several cities across Japan.
Get the tickets of popular Japanese baseball games online
▶ How to Get Japanese Baseball Game Tickets of All 12 Teams
8. Disney Easter
Join Tokyo Disney Resort’s special event, Disney’s Easter starting from April to June. The whole park will be decorated with Easter theme. There will be special parades, egg hunting game, limited merchandise at shops and special menus at restaurants and cafes are available.
To check more of events in Disney Resort, check the article ▶ Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea Event Schedule
9. Watch more Spring Flowers
It’s not only cherry blossoms to brighten up Japanese spring. There are many other gorgeous flowers as beautiful as cherry blossoms and you can only see them during spring such as wisteria in Ashikaga, nemophila in Hitachi Seaside Park and Pink Moss near Mt Fuji.
Spring flowers apart from cherry blossoms ▶ Must-Visit Flower Festivals around Tokyo in Spring!
10. Hit Okinawa’s Beaches
Don’t wait till summer! If you wanna swim in a beautiful ocean, Okinawa is ready for you in April. Their beaches officially start opening from March and good to swim in April. It’s also good time to avoid crowds and the temperature is moderate.
Okinawa beaches ▶ Okinawa Beaches: Best Season to Visit
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Did you enjoy the list?? If you are planning your trip to Japan this spring, you may also wanna check out these articles introducing useful info and beautiful things about Japanese spring! So have a look 😉
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Written by
"The world is my oyster" A globetrotter 🌎 and hammock lover 🌞 who loves taking adventures to fuel wanderlust. Born and raised in Japan, I have spend almost a decade living and exploring countries across the world. Based on my travel experience, I'd love to share my knowledge and tips for travelling with my readers. I hope my stories help you plan your trip and have a great time in Japan 🌈