2026 Cherry Blossom Sakura Forecast for Kyoto, Osaka and Nagano
On December 18, 2025, the Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC), published its first official outlook for the cherry blossom season. The report estimates the dates when cherry blossoms will begin flowering (kaika) and reach their peak bloom (mankai). These projections focus on Yoshino cherry trees at approximately 1,000 popular hanami (flower viewing) locations across the country, spanning from Hokkaido in the north to Kagoshima in the south. The latest update was published on March 19th, compared to the earlier January forecast the flowering dates for some prefectures have shifted +1 day, while some have shifted back a few days. JMC will continue to release updated forecasts as the season approaches, with the next update scheduled for March 26th .