10 Best Cherry Blossom Spots in the Osaka Area

Kema Sakuranomiya Park is one of the loveliest parks in Osaka’s riverside area. The promenade covers a total of 42 kilometres from Kema Overflow Weir all the way to Tenmabashi Bridge on Okawa River. In spring, you can enjoy riverside strolls while taking in the spectacular views of cherry trees reflecting on the surface of the river.

On the right bank you’ll see the Mint, which is also famous and popular as a cherry blossom viewing site. The visible contrast between the tall buildings of Osaka and the nature of Okawa River is unique to this area. While it's pleasant at any time of the year, cherry blossom season is inevitably the highlight of the calendar.

Expo '70 Commemorative Park is on the site of the Expo '70 world's fair, which was turned into this remarkable park once the event had ended. The landmark of the Expo was (and still is) the Tower of the Sun, designed by Taro Okamoto, standing tall and really capturing the excitement of the people of that time. In the park, Taiwanese cherry blossoms, weeping cherry blossoms, and Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms start to bloom from around mid-March, and you can enjoy them until around mid-April.

There are about 5,500 cherry trees here, and the rows of trees along Higashioji Street are especially popular. For a unique perspective, check out the cherry blossoms as they overlap the Tower of the Sun. This vast park is one of the best places in Osaka to enjoy the spring.

The approximately 560-metre-long passage along the former Yodo River on the premises of the Japan Mint is open to the public for only one week a year, just in time for the cherry blossoms. Already open to the public in 1883, this is one of the longest-established cherry blossom viewing spots in Osaka. The cherry blossoms in full bloom attract huge crowds of locals.

The site is also known as Sakura no Torinuke, which means passing through cherry blossoms. It’s said that cherry trees from the Todo clan’s warehouse were moved here at the beginning of the Meiji period, and some of them are rare varieties. These days, visiting the Japan Mint is a spring tradition in Osaka.

Daisen Park is home to 994 cherry trees covering 51 different varieties. The blooming period varies depending on the variety, so the cherry blossoms here can be enjoyed over a long period of time. The cherry blossom avenue where weeping cherry trees are planted used to be called Umagase Avenue. In the rock garden, you can also see Chishima cherry and North Japanese hill cherry trees that are native to Hokkaido.

Daisen Park is located in a part of the Mozu Tombs World Heritage Site, right between the mausoleums of Emperor Nintoku and Emperor Ritchu. The Japanese garden is another highlight.

The beautiful Kishiwada Castle, a landmark of Kishiwada, was reconstructed in the Showa period. There’s also Kishiwada Castle Garden, which is a designated National Place of Scenic Beauty where the locals like to relax. In spring, about 170 cherry trees come into bloom and seem to complement the castle. When they’re illuminated at night, the roles are reversed, with the cherry blossoms taking centre stage.

The contrast between the castle and cherry blossoms is breathtakingly beautiful, a real slice of Japan. The Castle Festival (Oshiro Matsuri) is held in the castle town of Kishiwada when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.

Koriyama Castle was built by a feudal warlord, Junkei Tsutsui. The cherry trees are said to have been transplanted when Hidenaga Toyotomi settled in the castle. More were added in the Edo period, and these were popularly known as palace cherry trees. The castle tower was destroyed by fire, and only the inner moat and walls remain, but the beautiful scenery is still there. In fact, it’s been selected as one of Japan’s 100 best cherry blossom viewing sites and one of the Continued 100 Finest Castles of Japan.

The observatory facilities are built on the stone walls of the castle tower foundation, with the historical sites of Yamato in the distance adding to the scenery of the castle and cherry blossoms. Throughout the history of Yamato and ancient Japan, cherry blossoms have always held a special place in the Japanese people's hearts and today is no different.

Akashi Park is a nature-rich park that has been developed on the site of Akashi Castle. In spring, Gonoike Pond, which used to serve as an outer moat, is surrounded by gorgeous cherry blossoms. The Tatsumi Yagura Turret and Hitsuji Saru Yagura Turret remaining on the site of Akashi Castle, which was built in 1619, are designated as a National Important Cultural Property and Historic Site. Here you can enjoy a cherry blossom viewing picnic combined with views of the castle site.

Many people enjoy boating on Gonoike Pond, too, while looking at the cherry blossoms. Sakurabori Moat, where the blossoms reflect on the water’s surface, is another cherry blossom viewing highlight within the park.

Mount Yoshino was mentioned in classical poetry in anthologies like Manyoshu and Hyakunin Isshu and it’s been a source of emotional support for the Japanese people since ancient times. The subtle and profound scenery of mountains and valleys coloured with lovely hill cherry blossoms will take your breath away. Today, it’s also famous as a part of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, a World Heritage Site.

The areas here are called Shimosenbon, Nakasenbon, Kamisenbon, and Okusenbon, and the hill cherry trees that bloom from the bottom of the mountain to the top are one of the undisputed highlights. At night, the illuminated cherry blossoms give the mountain a completely different look.

Kimiidera Temple, known for its early bloomers, has about 500 cherry trees on its grounds and they usually reach full bloom in late March. There’s a sample tree from the meteorological observatory in front of the Main Hall, and the official declaration of the opening of cherry blossom season in the Kinki region is made here. The crowds arrive as soon as the cherry blossom festival starts in the temple precinct.

It was Basho Matsuo who wrote a haiku saying that he came all the way to Kimiidera Temple, but the cherry blossoms had already fallen. Aim to get here early and make sure you don’t fall into the same trap!

The history of Himeji Castle dates back to 1333. It initially belonged to the Akamatsu clan but was remodelled by Hideyoshi Hashiba, and then by Terumasa Ikeda and Tadamasa Honda following the Battle of Sekigahara, reaching its present form in 1617. Thanks to castle architecture, it was the first World Cultural Heritage Site registered in Japan.

In spring, pink cherry blossoms stand out against the white castle walls. Also make sure you visit Kokoen Garden, with its pond and fountain. The typically Japanese scenery of the pond with cherry blossoms overlooking Himeji Castle in the distance is very pretty indeed.