Cherry Blossom-Viewing Budget Falls 13.8% to ¥6,383

Jiji Press

11:18 JST, March 24, 2026

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — People in Japan plan to spend ¥6,383 on average for cherry blossom viewing this year, down 13.8% from the previous year, as consumers become more budget-minded amid inflation, according to an online survey.

“As the cost of daily necessities rises due to soaring prices, people are seeking to save money for cherry blossom viewing,” said an official of Tokyo-based research company Intage Inc., which conducted the survey.

The survey also showed that about 10% of people plan to go to view cherry blossoms alone.

“I think we can say that solo cherry blossom viewing, in which people enjoy cherry blossoms at their own pace on their way to work or back home, is becoming established,” the official added.

The survey was conducted over seven days through Feb. 16, with valid responses coming from 2,500 people aged between 15 and 79 across the country.

The survey showed that 951 people, or 38% of respondents, said they will go to view cherry blossoms or might do so.

The average cherry blossom-viewing budget had been rising, standing at ¥7,407 for last year, after rising to about ¥7,000 in 2023 in a sharp recovery from ¥2,737 in 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asked about the time and place to go to cherry blossom viewing with multiple answers, 71.1% of respondents said they will go to a nearby spot during the daytime.

The share of respondents who said they will go to view cherry blossoms alone came to 9.8%, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous year.