General News

Kyoto’s Temples, Shrines Attract Visitors from Home, Abroad for Cherry Blossom Viewing

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:48 JST, April 3, 2026

KYOTO — Domestic and foreign visitors are coming in droves to soak up the spring season in Kyoto, seeking out fully bloomed cherry blossoms at the city’s famous shrines, temples and riversides.

According to the Kyoto Local Meteorological Observatory, someiyoshino cherry blossoms in the city began to bloom on March 26, three days earlier than average. They reached full bloom on Monday, about five days earlier than usual.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
The waterway along the Philosopher’s Path was covered with cherry blossom petals, which had fallen during the previous day’s rain, turning the surface of the water pink in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, on Thursday.

The weeping cherry tree of Maruyama Park in Higashiyama Ward, a symbol of the park, was even more stunning than usual when it was lit up at night. Meanwhile, along the Philosopher’s Path in Sakyo Ward, flower petals covered the surface of a waterway, having fallen during earlier rainfall.

At Hirano Shrine in Kita Ward, varieties of cherry blossoms were in full bloom, with petals fluttering in the refreshing breeze along the Kamo River.

Kyoto’s cherry blossom season will continue for some time, with late-blooming double cherry blossoms and the famous late-blooming Omurozakura cherry blossoms at Ninnaji temple in Ukyo Ward yet to reach their peaks.