Spring in Japan: 10 Best Things to Do in 2024

Top Things to Do and Places to Visit in Japan in Spring

Why spring is considered as the best season in Japan?? Only because of cherry blossoms?? Hold on! These are many more special things to see and do apart from cherry blossoms! Here are 10 best things about spring in Japan in 2024.

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1. Cherry blossoms

Undeniably, cherry blossoms (Sakura in Japanese) are the best thing to see in Japan. After long winter, cherry blossoms bring a happiness and joy and transform the country into a magical pink wonderland. Cherry blossoms can be enjoyed everywhere across the country during the season, and cherry blossom viewing (Hanami in Japanese) is the top activity in spring.

Check out the best time to see cherry blossoms in Japan : Japan Cherry Blossom Forecast

-Cherry Blossom Night Viewing

Watching cherry blossoms at night could be the best way to to spend a night during spring. There are numbers of spots for cherry blossoms night viewing including festivals and restaurants. Enjoy the long night of spring with delicious food and the pleasant view of cherry blossoms.

▶︎ 10 Best Places to View Cherry Blossoms in Japan
Top 5 Spots in Japan for Cherry Blossom Night Viewing
10 Best Cherry Blossom Viewing Restaurants in Tokyo

-Cherry Blossom Festivals (Sakura Matsuri)

Cherry blossom festivals are held across the country during the season. Along with the spectacular views of cherry blossoms, you can enjoy delicious food and drinks at vendors and special events at festivals.

10 Best Cherry Blossom Festivals in Japan
5 Best Cherry Blossom Festivals in Tokyo

2. Strawberries Picking/Dessert Buffets

The queen of spring fruits in Japan is strawberry. Strawberries are grown in farms across Japan including high quality branded products such as Tochiotome and Amaou. Japanese strawberries are known for its big size, plumpness and sweetness.

To enjoy Japanese strawberries, Strawberry picking is highly recommended. It’s a popular spring activity among Japanese people. At many strawberry farms, you can enjoy picking and tasting fresh strawberries as much as you like. Other top activity for strawberry lovers is strawberry dessert buffets, which are held at many luxury hotels in Japan from late winter to spring. Each venue offers all-you-can-eat buffets with premium desserts using strawberries. Check the below links to find popular strawberry farms and dessert buffets in/around Tokyo!

Best Strawberry Picking Farms near Tokyo

Best Strawberry Dessert Buffets in Tokyo

3. Visit Parks and Gardens

Spring is the best season to spend time and do activities outdoors as the temperature is mild, averagely 17~22℃ and mostly sunny. The beginning of March could be slightly chilly like below 15 degrees, and some days in May could be as hot and humid as summer, but generally spring in Japan is warm and pleasant.

Parks and gardens could be an ideal place to enjoy the great spring weather in Japan together with spring flowers including cherry blossoms and fresh greenery. In Japanese gardens, you can enjoy the amazing fusion of nature and Japanese tradition, and immerse into a peaceful moment. Special events and festivals are often held at large parks especially on weekends such as Yoyogi Park and Ueno Park in Tokyo. Find the best parks and gardens in Tokyo/Japan from the below links!

10 Best Parks in Tokyo

Best Gardens in Japan

4. More Spring Flowers

When it comes to spring in Japan, many people think of cherry blossoms, but there are many other  flowers that flourish beautifully across Japan during spring and we shouldn’t miss them. Popular spring flowers in Japan besides cherry blossoms are Wisteria, Pink Moss and Blue Nemophila, and flower festivals are held during the blooming season. Check out the greatest flower festivals in Japan as wonderful as cherry blossoms!

Must-Visit Flower Festivals around Tokyo in Spring

Ashikaga City in Tochigi Prefecture is one of the most attractive cities near Tokyo, yet it’s still lesser known among tourists. If you are planning to visit Great Wisteria Festival at Ashikaga Flower Park, I’d highly recommend you to explore the city that has deep history and culture! Check out the link below for more information about Ashikaga City.

Best Things to Do in Ashikaga, Tochigi

5. Cycling

Cycling is one of the best ways to explore the country, and spring is possibly the most ideal season for cycling in Japan as the weather is perfect for cyclists and sightseeing. If you are into cycling and wanna try fair distance cycling in Japan, Shimanami Kaido should be the first choice. The 70 km long scenic cycling road across Seto Inland Sea fascinates cyclists from all around the world.

Shimanami Kaido Cycling Guide

It is also possible to cycle within cities. Especially in Tokyo, you can take a cycling tour and explore the neighbourhood of Tokyo. “Tokyo Good Old Bike Tour” by Magical Trip is one of the most popular day tours in Tokyo today, offering a fun sightseeing cycling tour through the popular neighbourhoods in Tokyo such as Yanaka, Ueno and Asakusa. Click this link for more details and book the tour with a special discount!

6. Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a mountain sightseeing route which opens only for a limited time from mid April to November. The 37km route runs between Tateyama, Toyama Prefecture and Omachi, Nagano Prefecture passing through the Northern Alps mountain using 7 different transportation including cablecar, ropeway and bus.

One of the highlights of the route is the Snow Wall that can be captured only in spring before the snow melts. The bus trail is lined by the walls formed by the thick snow reaching up to 20m high. Some part of the trail is open for pedestrians to walk freely and take photos.

Related article: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Guide

7. Join Traditional Festivals

From spring to summer, many traditional festivals (Matsuri) are held in cities across Japan. Joining festivals gives a great opportunity to get to know Japanese culture and tradition. The biggest festivals in spring includes Sanja Matsuri, Kanda Matsuri and Takayama Matsuri.

Japan’s three Biggest Festivals in April

Japan’s three Biggest Festivals in May

8. Green Tea Plantations

If you are a matcha fan, then you should definitely explore the world of green tea while traveling Japan! Besides tasting delicious matcha desserts and snacks, it’s highly recommended to visit one of tea plantations. The best time to visit green tea plantations is spring before picking season starts in May.

Green tea is grown in several locations in Japan and Shizuoka Prefecture is the largest tea producing region with 40 percent of all tea plantations in Japan. As the prefecture is also home to Mt Fuji, there are several green tea plantations near the mountain that display astonishing scenery. They are definitely one of the best photo spots in Japan!

Obuchi Sasaba and Imamiya: Best Green Tea Plantations in Shizuoka

9. Spring “Sakura” Food and Drinks

In Japan, people enjoy cherry blossoms not only by viewing but also tasting. A variety of cherry blossom themed food and drink products are available at shops, cafes and restaurants in spring including Starbucks Coffee, Tully’s Coffee, Pocky, KitKat, Krispy Kreme and more. In addition, many hotels offer delightful cherry blossom afternoon teas only in spring. Don’t miss a chance to taste the delicious spring flavours!

Sakura Food and Drinks in Japan

10. Hit the Beaches in Okinawa

You don’t have to wait until summer to enjoy beaches in Japan! The southern tropical islands of Japan, Okinawa welcomes summer much earlier than the rest of the country and the stunning beaches in Okinawa start opening officially in March. From June to August, it’s high season in Okinawa so hotels and flight tickets could be pricey, but if you visit there in spring, you can enjoy beaches and attractions in Okinawa with less crowds and cheaper prices.

Best Things to Do in Okinawa


▽Check out this Japan Bucket List of 30 Best Things to Do throughout the year!▽

Check more things to do in spring in popular cities in Japan!

Have you enjoyed the list?? If you are looking for travel info for different seasons in Japan, please check out listed articles, below!

If you are planning a trip to Japan in spring, you may wanna check out these related articles, too! Get useful information and beautiful things to see in Japanese spring!

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Written by

"The world is my oyster" A globetrotter 🌎 and hammock lover 🌞 who loves taking adventures to fuel wanderlust. Spent around a decade by living and travelling across the world and currently reside in Japan working as a social media writer for Japan Web Magazine 💻 I spend my days by researching and discovering new places and hidden gems for my next journey, and write articles based on my knowledge, interests and travel experiences. I hope you find my stories helpful to plan your trip and have a wonderful time in Japan 🌈