Osaka and Kyoto Cherry Blossom Report

Posted by Kyle Yates in Featured, Kansai Culture, Kansai Leisure, Kansai Visitors

Spent the night away from home last night camping. Luckily, it was Japanese style camping where I didn’t even have to sleep in a tent. We slept in a lodging area with a nice bath and campfire indoors. The reason I say we were lucky is a huge storm came through yesterday afternoon. Sheets of rain fell as winds as strong as 87kmh/54mph whipped trees all around us knocking down branches and limbs.

On my way back to Kyoto, I stopped along the way checking cherry blossoms.

Cherry blossoms in Osaka seem to be opening a bit faster than Kyoto. It didn’t matter if trees were out in the open or hidden behind a building. Trees in the Minoh area of Osaka have a lot more blossoms opened than trees in southern Kyoto.

I would estimate Osaka cherry blossom trees are about 20% open as of today. Kyoto cherry blossom trees are about 5% or less. However, most of the buds on trees in Kyoto are already pink and look like they are all about to pop open in the next day or two.

Expect blooms to be opened more along the 40% level on Saturday in Kyoto. If you want to view trees with more blossoms opened this weekend, Osaka would be the better city to visit.

Heading to Nara to check the cherry blossoms this afternoon! Will report on Nara blossoms later tonight.