Exploring Japan one destination at a time
There’s something that stops me every single time I’m in Japan during cherry blossom season. It’s not just the colour or the sheer volume of blooms. It’s the feeling that you’re standing inside something much older and heavier than a pretty spring day. The cherry blossom has been Japan’s most loaded symbol for over a … Read more
Cherry blossoms and drinking have been connected for over a thousand years. The 10th-century poet Ki no Tomonori famously wrote: “If there were no cherry blossoms in this world, the heart of spring would be at peace.“ But here we are, centuries later, still sitting under sakura trees with a cold drink in hand, watching … Read more
At first glance, hanami looks like glorious, beautiful chaos. Hundreds of people crammed under cherry blossom trees, food and drinks everywhere, kids running around, music playing, petals drifting onto everything. It feels like anything goes. But spend enough time at a hanami (cherry blossom party) and you’ll realise there’s a whole set of unspoken rules … Read more
Some of my favourite hanami memories have involved zero planning, a nearby konbini, and a patch of grass under a sakura tree. No fancy bento boxes. No Pinterest-worthy picnic spreads. Just cheap but good food, cold drinks, and cherry blossoms doing their thing overhead. Japan’s big three convenience stores; 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson are genuinely … Read more
Cherry blossom season is one of the most spectacular times to visit Japan, and 2026 is shaping up to be a cracker. Based on the Japan Meteorological Corporation‘s latest 7th forecast (released today, 5 March 2026), blooms are tracking earlier than average across most of Japan, with parts of eastern Japan sitting nearly a week … Read more