Cherry Blossom Season 2024: View Nara Deer and Kansai Sakura

No one can resist a trip to Japan for Nara cherry blossom. As a famous tourist destination, Nara in the spring season makes your Japanese tour worthwhile because there is no other place where spring is only about cherry blossoms and deer except Kansai’s Nara. People will think of the Sakura in Tokyo when it is spring season in Japan. However, sleeping in a pile of pink cherry blossoms and watching the deer colliding at the same time is an especially wonderful experience in Nara during Japanese cherry blossom month. This article is about Nara cherry blossom season tips, including Nara cherry blossom time prediction, Nara's best cherry blossom viewing places, and recommended Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-Nara cherry blossom tour, and so on. To enjoy the wonderful cherry blossom festival in Nara in 2024, you can contact our travel experts to tailor your itinerary for the perfect Sakura tour now, from which you will also make friends with the tame deers and take a visit to Sake Museum to explore the history of the Japanese sake.

Table of Contents

1. Nara Cherry Blossoms Season Forecast 2024

2. Stunning Places to See Kansai Sakura in Nara

3. Cherry Blossom Viewing in Mt. Yoshino Japan

4. Plan a Tokyo and Kansai Classic Sakura Tour

1. Nara Cherry Blossoms Season Forecast 2024

As the country of cherry blossoms, Japan at the end of March will usher in a grand sea of pink blossoms. The cherry blossoms blooming in Japan from the south to the north start in March and April every year, attracting a large number of tourists to come to enjoy the best cherry blossoms. When is the best time to see Nara cherry blossom? In Nara, the Sakura blooming time also extends from late March to early April, and the peak bloom period lasts only a handful of days. According to the Japan cherry blossom 2023 forecast, the Nara cherry blossom season in 2024 is likely to be predicted on March 26. It is recommended to consult detailed forecasts from the Japan Meteorological Agency or Nara's tourism office for the most up-to-date and accurate information on peak bloom periods. However, it is important to note that forecasts should not be taken as absolute certainties, as nature's timing can be unpredictable. Planning your visit to Nara Japan cherry blossoms carefully is crucial for witnessing the cherry blossoms in all their glory. And don't forget to enjoy the Hanami festival when you are at Nara during the cherry blossom month in Japan as it is the tradition in Japan in springtime. If you miss the Nara cherry blossom at Kansai in April, don't hesitate to head to Hokkaido as the blooming time of the Hokkaido Sakura is in May.

2. Stunning Places to See Cherry Blossom in Nara

Nara has a longer history than even Osaka and Kyoto, and there is a saying that you can dig up ancient artifacts anywhere in Nara, so it is clear that there is still a lot of ancient romantic beauty waiting to be discovered in this land. It is the best place to enjoy cherry blossoms in Japan. Nara's cherry blossom season is also characterized by the beauty of cherry blossom and cute deer, which makes it worthwhile to make a special trip to Nara during the Sakura season. Where are the best spots for Japanese Sakura cherry blossom viewing in Nara?

Nara Park: Fantastic Cherry Blossoms Collide with Little Cute Deer

Best Viewing Time: March 27 – April 6

Nearby Station: Kintetsunara Station (Kintetsu-nara Line)

Address: The area covering Kasugano-cho, Zoshin-cho, Takabatake-cho, and Noborioji-cho in Nara, Nara, 630-0000

Opening Hours: 24 hours

Admission: free

Tel: +81 742-22-0375

Access: Starts a five-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station

No one can ignore the Nara Park when going to Kansai during the Japan Sakura Season as it is Nara's most representative park. It is situated at the foot of Mount Wakakusayama and is a vast area, neighboring Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and Kofuku-ji Temple, and is an essential place to visit in the Nara spring season. The park is home to a variety of Japanese Sakura tree, including the Nara Yaezakura, Nara Kudzakura, Yamazakura, Someiyoshino cherry blossoms, and weeping cherry blossoms, which make it quite a sight to behold in the middle of spring. Of course, the most important thing is that there are many cute deer in the park, and you can't miss the fairy tale scenery of deer and cherry blossoms together. Nara's deer have lived here for generations, and these naturally wild deer run freely under the Japanese tree with pink flowers. In Nara Park, you can always see the cozy figure of a deer in an unobtrusive corner. They walk among the Sakura cherry trees, looking at you with clear eyes and licking the fallen Sakura flower in Japan. In addition to viewing the cherry blossom, Nara Park is also a great place to experience the Japan autumn leaves.

Mt. Yoshino: One of the Most Famous Cherry Blossom Spots in Japan

Best Viewing Time: March 28 – April 9

Nearby Station: Yoshino Station (Kintetsu-yoshino Line)

Address: Yoshinoyama, Yoshino-cho, Yoshino-gun, Nara, 639-3115

Tel: 0746-39-9237

Anyone who makes a Japan Sakura tour will not be strange with Mount Yoshino. About 30,000 cherry blossoms, mainly Hakusanzakura, bloom in the Sakura Valley and the Oniwa area of Mt Yoshino Nara. The cherry trees and famous cherry blossoms can be seen everywhere, and many poets and writers have written poems about cherry blossoms there. Shimosenbon, Nakasenbon, Kamisenbon, and Okusebon, which are categorized by height, and bloom in order, and you can enjoy different beautiful scenery throughout the month of April when it is the best month for viewing the Yoshino Kansai cherry blossom.  People who visit Japan to see Osaka cherry blossom also like to go to Mount Yoshino Nara for Sakura viewing as it is just 76.8 KM away from Osaka.

Butsuryu-Ji Temple: Admire the 950-year-old Japanese Sakura Tree

Best Viewing Time: March 29 – April 6

Address: 1684 Haibaraakabane, Uda, Nara 633-0213, Japan

Tel: +81 745-82-2457

Butsuryu-Ji Temple is the southern gate of Murokuji Temple, which was created by Kane-chan, a disciple of Kukai. In front of the gate of Butsuryu-Ji Temple, there is a huge cherry tree that is over 950 years old and has a root circumference of about 8 meters. This Japanese tree Sakura, the oldest and largest in Nara, blooms on schedule every spring and grows so profusely that the branches that extend out and the cherry flowers that fall look as if they will bury the stone steps in front of the tree.

Koriyama Castle Ruins: Cannot Missed Cherry Blossom Spot in Kansai, Japan

Best Viewing Time: March 26 – April 4

Address: 2-255 Jonaicho, Yamatokoriyama, Nara 639-1011, Japan

Access: 10-minute walk from Kintetsu Koriyama Station

Admission: free

Opening Hours: 24 hours

The moat of Koriyama Castle is surrounded by about 800 cherry blossom trees as if they were guards, which is why it is also called "Goten Sakura". The Koriyama sakura is very famous in Kansai. During the Nara cherry blossom season, the entire castle is colored pink and the Yamato-Koriyama Castle Festival is held. It should be noted that there is little parking space in the area, so public transportation is recommended to go there to enjoy the Japan Hanami festival.

Matabezakura: Matabei Cherry Tree in Ouda-Hongo to Be Top One Sakura Spot in Nara Prefecture

Best Viewing Time: March 28 – April 7

Address: Oudahongo, Uda-shi, Nara-ken 633-2156

Nearby Station: 18 minutes by Nara Kotsu Bus bound for Ouda from Haibara station on the Kintetsu Osaka Line, get off at Ouda bus stop (the last stop), then a 20-minute walk

Tel: 0745-82-2457 (Uda City Commerce and Tourism Division)

Spring season is the best time to go to Japan for cherry blossoms. In Hokkaido, Maruyama Park & Hokkaido Shrine are the top spots to view Sakura in Sapporo. In Nara, you can feel the unique beauty of cherry flowers by enjoying the Matabezakura, which is a big tree standing on the ground. Matabei Cherry Tree in Ouda-Hongo, Nara Prefecture is one of the famous cherry trees in Japan, and has been voted as the number one cherry blossom viewing place in Nara. Matabezakura is 13 meters tall and about 300 years old, and it is also called "Matabei Cherry Tree" because of the legend of "Goto Matabei," a military general of the Warring States period. The cherry blossoms tree grows on a stone wall, and its most distinctive feature is that it looks especially beautiful when illuminated by the morning light. Many photographers squat around 5:00 a.m. to capture the morning light illuminating the Matabezakura. Matabei Cherry Blossom is full of life with its brilliant blossoms and flourishing trunks. When you go to Kansai for cherry blossom viewing, Matabezakura cannot be missed as you can quietly feel the beauty of life while enjoying the cherry blossom in Japan.

Takada Senbon Sakura: Nara's Less-crowded Spot to Enjoy Kansai Cherry Blossom

Best Viewing Time: March 27 – April 5

Address: 1 Chome-1 Kasugacho, Yamatotakada, Nara 635-0095, Japan

Nearby Station: Kintetsu Takadashi Station

Opening Hours: Open 24 hours

Admission: Free

Tel: +81 745-22-1101

Access: a 10-minute walk from Kintetsu Takadashi Station, a 13-minute walk from Kintetsu Yamatotakada Station, or a 13-minute walk from JR Takada Station

Takada 1000 Sakura is located in Takada River in Daiwa-Takada City. 1,200 cherry blossom trees have been planted there since 1948, and it stretches for 2.5 kilometers along the bank of Takada River between two Kintetsu stations, Daiwa-Takada Eki and Takada-shi Eki. In the center of the area, there is the Ōnaka Park, which is illuminated in the evening and where you can enjoy the cherry blossoms at night. On weekends, it hosts a lively garden party where you can bring your own food for a picnic under the cherry blossom tree from Japan. And of course, there are many food stalls at the garden party, so those who come here for Sakura Hanami can also enjoy the food as well. However, if you like to enjoy a quiet Sakura trip, you can go to the north and south ends of the park to admire the cherry blossoms with fewer crowds, which is more convenient for taking pictures of the scene of the Nara cherry blossom.

Tsubosaka Temple: Admire the Big Buddha in Japanese Tree with Pink Flowers in Sakura Season

Best Viewing Time: March 26 – April 4

Address: Japan, 〒635-0102 Nara, Takaichi District, Takatori, 壷阪3

Opening Hours: Closed at 5 PM

Tel: +81 744-52-2016

Tsubosaka Temple is located in the mountains south of Nara. It is said to have been founded in 703 by the monk Bengi Shonin of Gango-ji Temple, and is dedicated to the eleven-faced, thousand-armed Bodhisattva Kannon. And this bodhisattva is famous for guarding the eyes and curing eye diseases. During the cherry blossom season at the last week of March, the entire temple is surrounded by pale pink flowering branches. When you look up from the Inoue Gate, you will find that the temple buildings are staggered and filled with Sakura trees, which is extremely captivating. The most famous Great Buddha of the temple came from India, and when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, Sakyamuni Buddha sits in the middle of the blossoms in front of his core team of Guanyin, Manjushri, and Pushyen. The best view of the Buddha, which is completely wrapped in Japan pink flowers, is from a simple observation deck that is set up in the temple.

Sahogawa Riverbed: Largest Sakura Viewing Spot in Nara

Best Viewing Time: March 29 – April 6

Address: Horencho, Nara-shi, Nara-ken 630-8113

Access: 5-minute walk from Kintetsu Shin-Omiya Station

Tel: 0742-22-3900 (Nara City Tourist Center)

Admission: Free

Sahogawa Riverbed is a perfect spot for cherry blossom viewing in Nara. The Sahogawa Riverbed is a small river adjacent to the village and is 5 kilometers long from north to south, and it is the largest cherry blossom viewing place in Nara. There are more than 1,000 cherry blossom trees on both sides of the river, and some of them are even 100 years old. It is very impressive to enjoy the Cheery Blossom Hanami here. Since the river is quite long, it's a good idea to visit both sides of the river. You can see the trams running through the cherry blossom forest from a close distance, and there are also locals riding bicycles. It’s very comfortable to take a slow walk along the Sahogawa Riverbed at cherry blossom time in Japan.

Mount Wakakusayama: The Essence of Cherry Blossom Viewing in Nara

Best Viewing Time: March 29 – April 7

Address: Zoshicho, Nara, 630-8211, Japan, on the east side of Nara Park

Opening Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 from March to December every year

Admission: 150 yen/ adult, 80 yen/child over 3 years old

Access: a 35-minute walk according to signs from JR Nara Station. Alternatively, from the Nara JR station bus stop, take the Shin-Wakakusayama Direct Bus. There is a night tour bus from 18:00 to 19:30 in the evening.

Mount Wakakusayama is a famous place for Nara cherry blossom viewing. When the sun sets on a clear day, you can get a better view of Nara from the top of the mountain, with cherry blossoms cascading into the sky, and you can sit back and feel a moment of leisure at cherry blossoms Japan Month. Mount Wakakusayama is located on the east side of Nara Park, 342 meters above sea level, and covers an area of about 33 hectares. Mount Wakakusayama is also known as Mikasa because the mountain is shaped like three overlapping hats. The gentle slopes of the mountain are covered with grass and are one of the representative landscapes of Nara. The highest point of Wakakusayama offers a beautiful view of Nara City, with Kasuga Taisha to the south, the ruins of the Kofu Temple and Heijo Palace below, and Mount Ikoma and Kongo Mountain in the distance. The view from the top of Mt. Wakakusayama is not limited to daytime. The night view of Mount Ikoma front of the summit is very beautiful, and the night view of the Nara Basin below the mountain after nightfall is also serene. The night view from the top of Mt. Wakakusayama has been selected as one of the "New Three Great Night Views of Japan".

3. Nara Cherry Blossom at Mount Yoshino

When it comes to the Kansai cherry blossom viewing season, what is more beautiful than Arashiyama cherry blossom is Mount Yoshino Sakura. Throughout Japan, if you want to enjoy the Japanese Sakura cherry blossom spreading the mountains, only the Yoshino Kansai cherry blossom can make your dream come true.

Mt. Yoshino is a bit far from Nara City, which is broadly defined as Nara Prefecture and narrowly defined as Nara City. The good thing is that Yoshino Mountain is accessible by Kintetsu from Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. It is noted that Kintetsu is a private railroad, not JR or Hankyu.

The scale of the cherry blossoms at Mount Yoshino is one of the largest in all of Japan, with more than 30,000 cherry blossoms of 200 different Japanese cherry blossom types, making the mountain a spectacular cluster of cherry blossoms. There are four places where the cherry blossoms are the most intense, namely, the Lower, Middle, Upper, and Inside areas. The cherry blossoms of Mt. Yoshino are divided into Shimosenbon, Nakasenbon, Kamisenbon, and Okusebon (four types of cherry blossoms with different blooming dates) because there are millions of Japanese Sakura cherry blossom in full bloom at Japanese cherry blossom tree festival.

Mt. Yoshino is very different from Arashiyama in Kyoto. Arashiyama has many famous shrines and temples, but the fun of going to Arashiyama for Japan Kyoto cherry blossom is mainly to go to visit these shrines and temples, and to see the beauty of cherry blossom blowing by the Watanuki Bridge. Arashiyama is more like a regional name than a mountain, so it is difficult to see the mountain in full bloom when it is the best time to see Japanese cherry blossoms. And because Arashiyama is a famous viewing spot in Japan, it will be very crowded during the Kyoto cherry blossom festival. Mt. Yoshino in Nara is a real mountain, and you can take a cable car or a bus to enjoy the Japanese cherry blossom flower there. 

It will take a whole day to enjoy the cherry blossoms at Mount Yoshino, but half a day is enough for Arashiyama cherry blossom viewing at Kyoto Sakura season.

4. Plan a Tokyo and Kansai Classic Tour

Nara is one of the must-see cherry blossom viewing destinations during Sakura time in Japan for many tourists who plan Japan cherry blossom tours. Nara is neighboring Osaka and Kyoto, and they are all in Kansai. It is always considered as a "side trip" in the sightseeing itinerary of the other two prefectures. When you make a plan to enjoy the Sakura flower in Japan, the Tokyo and Kansai Classic Tour may be helpful for you, whose highlights include Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko, Oishi Park, Arakura Sengen Shrine, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Senso-ji Temple, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Fushimi Inari Taisha, and Nara Park.

Check more cherry blossoms tour inspirations that will include Nara Park in the itineraries:

>>>2-Week Japan Cherry Blossom Tour Ideas

>>>1-Week Japan Cherry Blossom Tour Ideas

Conclusions

Nara cannot be missed for cherry blossom viewing in Kansai. The cherry blossoms in Nara in 2024 are predicted to bloom after March 20 and full bloom on March 26 according to the Nara cherry blossom forecast 2023. We've listed 9 best viewing spots for Nara cherry blossom season, so you don't need to waste time looking for places where you can see the best Japanese Sakura cherry blossom tree in Nara, and you can plan your travel itinerary for Japan tours to Nara for the 2024 Cherry Blossom Season. Japan's Sakura period is short, so make sure to take advantage of it to enjoy the best cherry blossom in Japan during spring.