When & Where to Go (Top Tips)

When it comes to spring in Japan, most people would immediately think of the country’s famed sakura (桜) or cherry blossom flowers that have long since attracted millions of travelers around the world. This comes as no surprise because its charming beauty envelops both urban and natural sights in a delicate pink hue! (Spring Flowers in Japan)

Did you know? The sakura is said to be Japan’s unofficial national flower!

However, there is more to Japan’s spring season than these popular pink blooms! In fact, there are many different kinds of spring flowers in Japan that are highly sought-after.

This is especially seen in the attitudes of locals who have inadvertently ingrained Japanese flowers into their culture — after all, you can see them incorporated in a lot of art items, clothing, festivals, and even on their passports.

• Hanami (花見): The traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers (hana), usually by holding an outdoor party.
• Hanakotoba (花言葉): This is the Japanese form of the language of flowers in which flowers are given codes so that emotions can be conveyed to the recipient without the use of words.
• Ikebana (生け花): The Japanese art of flower arrangement which is counted as the 3 classical Japanese arts of refinement (the other two are kōdō for incense appreciation and chadō for tea).

Some people say that the reason for the Japanese’s fascination for flowers and nature alike lies in their Shinto belief wherein gods exist in every living thing; thus, making them respect even the smallest plant there is!

So if you want to immerse yourself in this same appreciative outlook of the locals, here are the top spring flowers in Japan that you should take note of for your visit so that you can be a part of related flower festival celebrations, as well as witness grand Japanese gardens, flower fields, and parks in their peak blooming season!

Top photo by: Shutterstock

Top Spring Flowers in Japan

» Azalea or “Tsutsuji” (Rhododendron)