Ghibli Museum is a dream destination for some travelers visiting Tokyo. Are you one of them?

Whichever you are a Ghibli lover or not, I know an interesting place just next to Ghibli Museum – Inokashira Park Zoo. I don’t think your travel guidebooks list it as a top place in Tokyo, but I strongly believe it deserves to see. To avoid regrets back at home, read this to learn why you should go to Inokashira Park Zoo!

A Relaxing Zoo Where Small Animals Live a Slow Life

Talking about zoos in Tokyo, everyone thinks of Ueno Zoo where the giant pandas attract so many people. Located in the middle of this big city, we can see all the star animals such as lions, tigers, elephants, gorillas, white bears, etc. Let’s say, it’s a “busy” zoo.

But Inokashira Park Zoo is very different. Located in the suburb district in Tokyo, it has more nature, wider space and less visitors than Ueno Zoo.

Much smaller than the busy entrance at Ueno Zoo, isn’t it? And you can see that it’s surrounded by tall green trees. I say that Inokashira Park Zoo is an “easygoing” zoo where everyone is slow.

The star animals are different, too. In Inokashira Park Zoo, two animals have been attracting people for years.

One of them is the guinea pig. Amazingly, there are always 150 guinea pigs living there!

Most of the 150 piggies were born in this zoo – it means we can see new born baby piggies all around the year.

Stars are small herbivorous animals here, not worldwide stars like giant pandas nor strong carnivorous animals. Do you like the atmosphere of this zoo?

Animals in the Real Japanese Nature

What makes Inokashira Park Zoo special is that we can see animals that are familiar to humans since old times in Japan.

Especially, I’m sure that it’ll be a wonderful experience for Ghibli lovers to see the animals in the real Japanese nature described in the movies.

For example, haven’t you seen this animal in “Pom Poko” directed by Isao Takahata?

The Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes viverrinus) has been common animals for Japanese people since the age of folk tales. In Inokashira Park Zoo, you can see the them walking around just in front of your eyes, not in a screen.

Monkeys are familiar to humans, too.

When I visited Inokashira Park Zoo, I’m amazed that animals looked so relaxed. The environment changes everyone’s personality.

As I said, there aren’t lions and tigers in Inokashira Park Zoo. As far as I know, the strongest animal here is the fox.

Even the king of the zoo was napping.

Two Must-See Animals that We Can’t See in Ueno Zoo

Especially, I’d like to pick up two must-sees that you cannot miss.

The first is this. You may say that you saw them in “Princess Mononoke”!

They are Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus).

I once wrote that I wasn’t lucky enough to see them when I went on a trip to Karuizawa. We can’t see them in Ueno Zoo, either. But remember, we have the 100% of chance to see them in Inokashira Park Zoo!

The other must-see I want to show you is the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus) who lives in the aquarium section.

Japanese giant salamanders inhabit only in Japan in the world. They live in crystal clear streams, so they are endangered species today. Japanese people often regard them as kind of “the ruler of this river” since old times.

I saw only the tail, but I wasn’t disappointed at all. It’s so precious for me to see “the ruler of the river”.

The aquarium section of Inokashira Park Zoo is full of fish and creatures in the traditional Japanese nature. If you are a Ghibli lover, I’m sure you love it so much.

A Real Fairy Tale with Japanese Squirrels

I said that there are two star animals in Inokashira Park Zoo and one of them is the guinea pig. The other is the Japanese squirrels!

What’s amazing is that, in Inokashira Park Zoo, we human beings are honored to enter the squirrels’ habitat. They are eating and running and napping freely in the very natural environment that people copied from the Japanese woods where they originally live in. (No feeding and touching.)

When we go through the double doors to the dome, we can see them without any fences!

Can you see?! We are inside the squirrels’ dome!

The squirrels aren’t afraid of humans at all, so it’s so normal for them to run around us.

Look! They ran at my feet!

What’s more, they eat nuts and vegetables when they like to just beside us.

How cute!!!

We can hear the sounds that squirrels crack the nuts all around.

You may suspect that I waited for hours to take these cute photos, but not really. I have visited Inokashira Park Zoo several times recently and I saw them eating in every visit. Your chance is so big!

Some visitors were whispering that it was like a fairy tale world. I strongly agree with them.

Not only the cuteness. Although they don’t look so different from squirrels in other countries and regions, the Japanese squirrel is an indigenous species of Japan. So, talking about the rarity of animals, they are TREASURES.

In Conclusion

Although it is not a top tourist spot in Tokyo, Inokashira Park Zoo has many things to explore. The slow and relaxing atmosphere will fit some people very well. I do love Ueno Zoo to see giant pandas, but I love Inokashira Park Zoo in a different way.

Especially, if you are a Ghibli lover, I believe Inokashira Park Zoo is a must-see.

How about reconsidering your travel schedule to visit there?

Practical Visitor Information

Opening Hours: 9:30 – 17:00

Closed on Monday (or Tuesday when Monday is a public holiday) and 29 December – 1 January

Admission Fees: 400 yen for adult, 150 yen for junior high school student (13 – 15 years old), free for children under 13, 200 yen for senior (65 – years old).

There are the zoo section and aquarium section across the street. You can enter both with one ticket.

Official Website: Inokashira Park Zoo (English)

Read about Ghibli Museum: A Trip to Ghibli Museum – Arts of Studio Ghibli, Photos & Visitor Information

How to Get to Inokashira Park Zoo

A 10 minutes walk from Kichijoji Station of JR Chuo Line or Keio Inokashira Line.

From Shinjuku

Take a JR Chuo Line train to Kichijoji. A 15 minutes ride by the rapid train.

From Shibuya

Take a Keio Inokashira Line train to Kichijoji. A 20 minutes ride by the rapid train.

From Tokyo Station

Take a JR Chuo Line train to Kichijoji. A 30 minutes ride by the rapid train.

Travel Tip – Take a bus wisely.

Although it is located just next to Ghibli Museum on the map, it would be a tough trip if you visit both on foot.

So I advise you to take a bus in some of the ways on your travel schedule. For example, It is a good idea that you go to Ghibli Museum by bus, not on foot, and return to Kichijoji Station by bus once and go to Inokashira Park Zoo.

In case you find the bus stop “Bunkaen-mae” on the return bus to Kichijoji, make sure to get off there – that’s the entrance of Inokashira Park Zoo!

Accommodation Advice

If Inokashira Park and Ghibli Museum are important to you, I strongly advise you to book a hotel in Shinjuku or Shibuya. You’ll have an easy and fast access to these places!

If I note one thing, Kabukicho area in Shinjuku is known as a dangerous place by Japanese locals (other places in Shinjuku are safe). If you mind it, booking a hotel in Shibuya will be a good and stress-free choice.

3 Reasons Why You Should Visit Inokashira Park Zoo, Tokyo appeared first on Tokyo Direct Diary.

Tokyo Direct Guide became 10 years old in 2023, so this is the 11th year of the Cherry Blossom Forecast!

Whenever there is an update on the forecast, I’ll tell you on my Facebook and X (former Twitter). Follow me to catch up with the latest forecast!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 25 January)

Tokyo: Start to open on 20 March / Reach peak on 29 March

Osaka: 22 March / 30 March

Kyoto: 23 March / 31 March

Nara: 26 March / 1 April

Nagoya: 21 March / 30 March

Fukuoka: 18 March / 28 March

Hiroshima: 20 March /31 March

Sendai: 4 April / 9 April

Sapporo: 25 April / 29 April

(Sourced from Weathermap)

According to the forecasters, the cherry blossom season will be 4 to 7 days earlier than average years in Japan in 2024.

From my point of view, it’s surprisingly early. Japanese people consider cherry blossoms as the symbol of April, not March. But now I wonder I may write it in the past tense someday because I’ve been saying “earlier than the average” on this blog almost every year… The forecasters, too.

Anyway, I’ll keep updating the latest forecast that will be released every Thursday. Beside the forecast, I hope to share my REAL feelings as well. Stay tuned!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 1 February) 

Tokyo: Start to open on 20 March / Reach peak on 29 March

Osaka: 23 March / 31 March

Kyoto: 24 March / 31 March

Nara: 25 March / 31 March

Nagoya: 21 March / 30 March

Fukuoka: 18 March / 28 March

Hiroshima: 20 March /31 March

Sendai: 3 April / 9 April

Sapporo: 26 April / 29 April

The forecast changed a little. Personally, reaching to the peak on 31 March is acceptable.

It’s a warm winter in Japan this year. The weather in March has a strong influence on cherry buds, so I wish it will not too warm next month!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 8 February) 

Tokyo: Start to open on 17 March / Reach peak on 28 March

Osaka: 22 March / 30 March

Kyoto: 21 March / 29 March

Nara: 23 March / 31 March

Nagoya: 19 March / 29 March

Fukuoka: 16 March / 27 March

Hiroshima: 17 March / 28 March

Sendai: 31 March / 5 April

Sapporo: 25 April / 28 April

I can imagine Sendai locals blacked out; cherry blossoms NEVER open in March in North Japan!

From my point of view, the cherry blossom season has been changing. Japanese people would consider cherry blossoms as the symbol of April, but I have seen many travelers saying that they were too late.

It’s true that cherry blossoms don’t last long. Also, Japanese people often whispered, “We see many illustrations of an entrance ceremony under cherry blossoms, but they are not very realistic.” (Typically, school entrance ceremonies are held on 6 – 8 April.) But now I’m wondering if I should say the best season is late March…

Anyway, if you have a flight ticket to Tokyo or a city in West Japan, I don’t think you’ll regret it so much. And always remember – if you are too early or late for the standard cherry blossoms, go to Shinjuku Gyoen Gardens!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 15 February) 

Tokyo: Start to open on 17 March / Reach peak on 28 March

Osaka: 23 March / 1 April

Kyoto: 21 March / 30 March

Nara: 24 March / 1 April

Nagoya: 19 March / 29 March

Fukuoka: 18 March / 30 March

Hiroshima: 19 March / 30 March

Sendai: 28 March / 4 April

Sapporo: 24 April / 28 April

It’s so warm like April in Tokyo today… People are wondering what to ware. I put on a coat because it’s still February and found that I was terribly wrong later!

The warm winter has been lasting in Tokyo, but look at the forecast for West Japan. In my opinion, Osaka and Nara are the ideal cherry blossom schedule. So, if you think that you are too late, it may be a good idea to plan a trip to the west.

On the contrary, this year will be way too bad for North Japan! It’s unbelievably early… If you have a plan to go there for cherry blossoms, I advise you to stay in Tokyo and enjoy late kinds of cherry blossoms!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 22 February) 

Tokyo: Start to open on 17 March / Reach peak on 28 March

Osaka: 23 March / 1 April

Kyoto: 21 March / 30 March

Nara: 24 March / 1 April

Nagoya: 18 March / 29 March

Fukuoka: 19 March / 31 March

Hiroshima: 18 March / 29 March

Sendai: 27 March / 2 April

Sapporo: 25 April / 28 April

The weather is like a roller coaster in Tokyo this week. It was as warm as spring or early summer on Tuesday, but the temperature rapidly dropped. I’m writing this on Thursday and I’m shivering!

But I’m sure that spring is approaching. I saw the early kind of cherry blossoms in the park nearby!

So beautiful, aren’t they? The tree was not as big as the standard kinds, but I think the blossoms are beautiful enough. You may see them in a street, park, or somewhere now!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 29 February) 

Tokyo: Start to open on 17 March / Reach peak on 27 March

Osaka: 22 March / 31 March

Kyoto: 21 March / 29 March

Nara: 23 March / 1 April

Nagoya: 18 March / 29 March

Fukuoka: 18 March / 29 March

Hiroshima: 18 March / 29 March

Sendai: 27 March / 1 April

Sapporo: 26 April / 30 April

The forecasters say that the forecast didn’t change so much, but it got a little earlier than ever, didn’t it? The “a little” means a lot to us!

In fact, I have a delicious story related to cherry blossoms, but I was pretty busy to talk about it this week. I’ll show it to you in the next update!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 7 March)

Tokyo: Start to open on 18 March / Reach peak on 27 March

Osaka: 24 March / 1 April

Kyoto: 21 March / 29 March

Nara: 25 March / 1 April

Nagoya: 19 March / 30 March

Fukuoka: 19 March / 30 March

Hiroshima: 19 March / 29 March

Sendai: 27 March / 1 April

Sapporo: 27 April / 1 May

The forecasters say that the cherry blossom season will be 4 – 7 days earlier than average years.

As far as I see it, the forecast above is OK. Although it’s a little early in Tokyo, but not to the point to be annoying. If they reach peak on 27 March, I think they will last until 2 or 3 April. It’s so normal and many travelers won’t be too late.

By the way, I have a delicious story. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!

A sakura mochi is a traditional sweet made of rice and sweat bean filling. Amazingly, the leaf is a salty cherry leaf. All EATABLE. I can’t start spring without eating a sakura mochi. If you see some of them somewhere, I strongly advise you to have it!!

Read more >> Eatable Cherry Blossoms! – Sakura Mochi, the Traditional Japanese Confection

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 14 March) 

Tokyo: Start to open on 22 March / Reach peak on 31 March

Osaka: 25 March / 3 April

Kyoto: 24 March / 31 March

Nara: 27 March / 2 April

Nagoya: 21 March / 1 April

Fukuoka: 22 March / 2 April

Hiroshima: 21 March / 1 April

Sendai: 29 March / 2 April

Sapporo: 28 April / 1 May

The forecasters say that the temperature won’t rise so much in the coming weeks, so the forecast got later than the previous one.

From my point of view, this is an ideal cherry blossom season! No one will be too early nor too late. I wish this forecast will come true!

The cherry blossom season is approaching. I see weather forecasters on TV referring to cherry blossom viewing. I’m wondering where to go this year now. Happy White Day!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 21 March) 

Tokyo: Start to open on 25 March / Reach peak on 3 April

Osaka: 25 March / 2 April

Kyoto: 24 March / 30 March

Nara: 27 March / 1 April

Nagoya: 23 March / 1 April

Fukuoka: 23 March / 31 March

Hiroshima: 22 March / 31 March

Sendai: 29 March / 2 April

Sapporo: 27 April / 30 April

I thought spring was coming, but the reality became so different. It’s as cold as winter in Tokyo this week, so I had to wear the warmest closing in my closet again! That’s why the forecast for Tokyo changed dramatically. Cherry buds don’t open in this cold air.

What’s more, winds are so strong this week, too! They brought some additional coldness. I wanted to make my plans to go to see cherry blossoms, but I can’t imagine a warm spring in this weather now.

What I’m wishing now is that the winds blow now and leave before cherry blossoms flourish. Since ancient times, Japanese people have deplored that strong winds blow away beautiful cherry blossoms. But this year, they hit Tokyo early. They SHOULD leave soon. If my wish comes true, it will be a great year for cherry blossom viewing!!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 28 March) 

Tokyo: Start to open on 29 March / Reach peak on 5 April

Osaka: 29 March / 4 April

Kyoto: 29 March / 3 April

Nara: 29 March / 4 April

Nagoya: 28 March / 4 April

Fukuoka: 27 March / 5 April

Hiroshima: 25 March / 3 April

Sendai: 1 April / 5 April

Sapporo: 25 April / 29 April

I can’t believe that cherry blossoms haven’t opened yet on 28 March. If you are under cherry trees, you have some chances to find a few blossoms, but they are all at this moment. Not only big festivals like Ueno Park, many towns and local communities hold cherry blossom viewing in Japan, but some of them had to reschedule it! I planed a trip to a NEW place next weekend, but I’m not sure I can see what I expect…

People are waiting for Japan Meteorological Agency’s announcement that cherry blossoms started to open. I think it will come tomorrow. I’m waiting.

[NEWS FLASH] Cherry Blossoms Started to Open in Tokyo!

Japan Meteorological Agency announced that cherry blossoms started to open in Tokyo on 29 March!

It is 5 days later than average years and 15 days later than last year.

My Sakura Report on 31 March: Inokashira Park

I went to Inokashira Park, a large park neighboring to Ghibli Museum, to view cherry blossoms!

Mmm… not perfect yet. But I DID see cherry blossoms along the large pond.

Maybe some travelers think they were too early. But I think it’s too early to give up. Look at this.

When I entered Inokashira Park Zoo in the park, I was so amazed to see some cherry blossoms blooming fully!!

When to bloom highly depends on the individual tree. And I’m feeling that it’s particularly so this year.

When you find some perfect cherry trees, I assure you that they are more beautiful and stunning than my photos above.

It was a wonderful trip. I hope to write about this beautiful park soon!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 4 April) 

Tokyo: Started to open on 29 March / Reach peak on 4 April

Osaka: 30 March / 6 April

Kyoto: 29 March / 5 April

Nara: 31 March / 6 April

Nagoya: 28 March / 5 April

Fukuoka: 27 March / 2 April

Hiroshima: 25 March / 5 April

Sendai: 2 April / 7 April

Sapporo: 26 April / 29 April

[NEWS FLASH] Cherry Blossoms Reached Peak in Tokyo!

Japan Meteorological Agency announced that cherry blossoms reached peak in Tokyo on 4 April!

It is 4 days later than average years and 13 days later than last year.

My Sakura Report on 7 April: Yoyogi Park, Harajuku

I went to Yoyogi Park in Harajuku. Cherry blossoms were definitely at the peak there!!

It was a sunny Sunday. Moreover, cherry blossoms kept people in suspense for long this year, so it seemed that everyone jumped out of their houses!

Harajuku is an exciting place every day, but I was surprised to see many people like THIS!!

Although it was crowded, I was able to find enough space to enjoy cherry blossoms. They were so beautiful…

I still found some buds, so I think the beautiful days will last for some more days.

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 11 April)

Tokyo: Started to open on 29 March / Reached peak on 4 April

Osaka: 30 March / 6 April

Kyoto: 29 March / 5 April

Nara: 31 March / 8 April

Nagoya: 28 March / 7 April

Fukuoka: 27 March / 2 April

Hiroshima: 25 March / 5 April

Sendai: 2 April / 9 April

Sapporo: 23 April / 26 April

Cherry blossoms finally reached peak throughout Japan except Northern cities.

It rained this week, so some people say that the rain blew away some blossoms. But I think they are still beautiful enough. Honestly, it’s surprising to me that I can still see them fully blooming!

My Sakura Report on 17 April: a local street in Tokyo

The standard cherry blossoms (somei yoshino) have almost left in Tokyo.

Instead, the late kinds of cherry blossoms are blooming fully now! I saw them in a local street nearby and they were so beautiful!!

What’s interesting about late kinds of cherry blossoms is that there are many different kinds among them. For example, we can see two colors in one tree! Amazing, aren’t they?

I love to see them with fresh green leaves, too.

The season of the standard kind is late March to early April, and I felt the breezes of May from the late kinds.

I recommend Shinjuku Gyoen Garden best for late kinds of cherry blossoms. The beautiful season still lasts!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 18 April) 

Tokyo: Started to open on 29 March / Reached peak on 4 April

Osaka: 30 March / 6 April

Kyoto: 29 March / 5 April

Nara: 31 March / 8 April

Nagoya: 28 March / 7 April

Fukuoka: 27 March / 2 April

Hiroshima: 25 March / 5 April

Sendai: 2 April / 9 April

Sapporo: 18 April / 26 April

Finally, the sakura front reached Sapporo, Hokkaido! According to the forecasters, it’s 13 days earlier than average years, so I’m sure that Sapporo locals are so surprised.

Thank You For Following Cherry Blossom Forecast 2024!

It’s May. My surroundings in Tokyo turn from pale pink to fresh green.

I think it’s time to look back at cherry blossoms of this year.

In 2024, the sakura season was surprisingly late for ME. Starting on 29 March is exceptional in the recent years. But in fact, the schedule like this year was traditionally average and ideal in Japan. The past years were the exceptions. I had been thinking of rewriting the trip planning advice for cherry blossoms, but looking at 2024, I think the data I wrote is still valid.

So some travelers may have come to Japan a little early. Honestly, I’m one of them who planned a cherry blossom trip to Inokashira Park a little too early on 31 March! But I did enjoy cherry blossoms there anyway. I suppose they were slow enough to make as many travelers as possible happy.

It seems it’s time to finish the cherry blossom season on my sites. If you liked my work, I have a tip jar at ko-fi.

Everyone, thank you for following the cherry blossom forecast on Tokyo Direct Guide. See you soon in January, 2025!!

Top Places for Cherry Blossom Viewing in Tokyo

Asakusa (Sumida River)

Most travelers visit Asakusa, the iconic tourist spot in Tokyo. Good news is that Asakusa (Sumida Riverside) is a famous cherry blossom spot in Tokyo that has been loved by Tokyo locals for hundreds of years! Today, we can see beautiful cherry blossoms with Tokyo Skytree.

Perfect Guide of Asakusa Sumida River Cherry Blossom Festival

World’s Easiest Asakusa Sightseeing Guide

Ueno Park

Undoubtedly, Ueno Park is one of the best spots in Tokyo. It’s my favorite, too.

Ueno Park Cherry Blossom Festival – Why You Shouldn’t Miss Shinobazu Pond

Perfect Guide to Ueno Park Cherry Blossom Festival IN THE EVENING

3 Reasons to Visit Ueno Park AFTER Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Festival

World’s Easiest Ueno Travel Guide

Imperial Palace (Chidorigafuchi)

I personally call Asakusa, Ueno Park and Imperial Palace “Big 3”. I’m thinking of visiting Imperial Palace this year.

Imperial Palace (Chidorigafuchi) Cherry Blossom Festival

Japanese Gardens

Talking about cherry blossom spots in Tokyo, I don’t think the Big 3 are the only beautiful place. There are some Japanese gardens that are originated from samurai mansions in Tokyo and I believe they are great for cherry blossom viewing.

In case you are too early or late for the peak(I see some travelers moaning that way every year), I always advise you to choose Shinjuku Gyoen Garden. It is the largest garden in Tokyo, so you can see early or late kinds of cherry blossoms.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

The Huge Weeping Cherry Tree in Rikugien Garden

Koishikawa Korakuen Garden

Yoyogi Park, Harajuku

Other Popular Places

I’ve written some other places for cherry blossoms on this blog.

Guides, Reviews & Facts of Meguro River Cherry Blossom Festival

Zojoji Temple & Tokyo Tower

Cherry Blossom Viewing at Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa

Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Forecast for Japan 2024 appeared first on Tokyo Direct Diary.

The biggest reason for travelers to visit Ueno is definitely the giant pandas in Ueno Zoo. Tokyo National Museum may be important to some people because we can see the REAL samurai swords and ancient Japanese arts there.

So most travelers get happy enough to see PANDAS, say “Yeah!!!” with holding their camera and go back to the hotel.

WAIT, don’t return! It’s too early!

If you go on a trip to Tokyo in January or February, I know something so beautiful that you should NEVER miss just next to Ueno Zoo; Winter Peony Garden. In my opinion, it’s a must-see in Ueno in winter and good for an after-zoo wind down. Read this article, and you’ll never regret your trip later!

What is Winter Peony Garden?

To talk about the Winter Peony Garden, I think it’s better to see the photos first.

Like this, a lot of peonies are surrounded by snow fences woven from straw (yuki gakoi)  – that’s the Winter Peony Garden.

When I visit Ueno in winter (for the PANDAS, maybe),  I like to explore the garden and feel calm in the atmosphere. The next is you!

Ueno Toshogu Shrine

Then, your next question may be, “Where is it exactly?”

Actually, it is part of Ueno Toshogu Shrine, which is literally neighboring to Ueno Zoo. The GOLDEN main hall looks like this when we see it from the front,

and we can see its back from the zoo!

Helpful Link: Google Maps of Toshogu Shrine

Ueno Toshogu was founded in 1651, which is the samurai era, so it’s a very old shrine. Actually, they finished the renovation in 2014, so it’s so beautiful and GOLDEN now.

In the season when the garden is open, you won’t miss the sign to guide you to the entrance.

Just the entrance is beautiful enough, isn’t it?

What’s more, they recently put the ticket vending machine! Traveling internationally always gives us a little nervousness, but you’ll never have a language problem here.

Photos of Winter Peonies

Now, let’s see my photos to explore the garden!

When we go through the entrance, the biggest flower display welcomes us soon.

So beautiful… The display is different every year, so I look forward to seeing it every time I visit there.

You’ll see some long signs beside the winter peonies. They are Japanese haiku or tanka poems that common visitors left in the previous year.

Talking about the flowers, there are some color variations in peonies. For example, this is marble pink.

White.

Red.

Which do you like? They have been attracting many local photographers for long.

Travel Tip for Photographers

According to my own experience, the sunlight may bother you. It depends on the time, but you may need to take a picture against the sun. So I advise you to take a lens hood.

Also, don’t underestimate your smartphone camera. It possibly does a surprisingly great work!

Winter Peonies and Ueno Pagoda

Peonies with straw fences are beautiful enough, but there is a good addition to the view – it’s a pagoda!

I think the view is like a postcard, but amazingly, it’s real!

Ueno Pagoda was built in 1639. It used to be part of Kan’eiji Temple and is registered as an Important Cultural Property by the government today.

Travel Tip: The pagoda gets WASHED once a year. I once saw it by chance. If you are there on the pagoda washing day, you are SUPER LUCKY!

Different Ways of Peony Display

The straw fences are eye-catching enough, but we can see peonies displayed in some different ways as well!

I think gardeners do a great job every year.

Things to See except Peonies to Explore Japanese New Year

Like the World of Japanese Classic Literature

We can take a rest on traditional red benches and warm hands over the pot with charcoal.

A pot like this was a major way to warm hands 1000 years ago, but honestly, it’s rare to see them for Japanese locals like me today. I feel as if I were in some classic literature!

Japanese Winter Flowers and Plants

The garden is for peonies, but they are not all. Don’t miss other greens in Japanese winter.

Beautiful Bonsais

There are also bonsais (traditional Japanese small plant pots) on display.

I heard that bonsai lovers exist all over the world today and some even visit Japan for bonsais. I’m not a bonsai expert, but I simply feel they were cozy and beautiful.

Decorations to Feel Japanese January & February

We can find a kadomatsu in the emoji list on our smartphone (look up the emoji of three bamboos!). It is a traditional Japanese New Year decoration and you can find it in this photo. Yes, we can see the real thing there!

The garden is open until February, so they sometimes put things for Setsubun Festival, too.

I can feel a lot of Japanese New Year (and Setsubun, sometimes) and that’s why I want to drop in at the Winter Peony Garden when I go to Ueno in winter.

In Conclusion – NEVER Go Back Soon After Seeing the Pandas!

Ueno is a place with so many things to see. The giant pandas are the stars to attract most people, but there are also 4 big art museums, a science museum to meet the real dinosaur fossils and concert halls. To enjoy this fascinating district to the fullest, we need to decide what to see.

Among those fantastic arts and animals in Ueno, I strongly believe that Winter Peony Garden cannot drop out from your must-see check list. The garden is made for only peonies, so it is not large to make you tired after the zoo. You can even put it on the top of the list.

Drop in at Winter Peony Garden and I’m sure you’ll add a beautiful experience to your memorable trip to Tokyo! 

Visitor Information

Ueno Toshogu Winter Peony (Fuyu-Botan)

Opening Hours: 9:30 – 16:30

Ticket: 1000 yen for one adult, free for under 13 year-old children

Helpful Links

Toshogu Shrine Peony Garden Official Website: https://uenobotanen.com/schedule/winter/

Link to Google Maps of Toshogu Shrine

Read More about Ueno

Ueno Sightseeing Guide: All about attractions, museum data and accommodation in Ueno

Cherry Blossom Festival

Ueno Park Cherry Blossom Festival

A Perfect Guide to Ueno Park Cherry Blossom Festival IN THE EVENING

3 Reasons to Visit Ueno Park AFTER Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Festival

Ueno Zoo

All About the Giant Panda Family in Ueno Zoo, Tokyo, Japan

NEW Giant Panda House in Ueno Zoo

Shoebills in Ueno Zoo? What Are They?

A Sad Tale of Elephants in Ueno Zoo: a tragedy in World War 2

Museums

The Best Things to See at Tokyo National Museum in Ueno: full of old & important arts!

Advice on Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno

All About Winter Peony Garden in Ueno – A Must-See Just Next to the Zoo! appeared first on Tokyo Direct Diary.

Amazingly, Tokyo Direct Guide became 10 years old!

10 years. It was a very long way. And many things around us changed in the past 10 years, too.

On the 1oth birthday of Tokyo Direct Guide, I’ll look back what changed in the TDG history!

When EXACTLY Did I Start Up Tokyo Direct Guide?

I’m celebrating the 10th anniversary on December 3 because it’s the day when I got the domain.

But actually, I uploaded the site on the next day, so Tokyo Direct Guide had a debut to the world on December 4.

So I think I sometimes had an anniversary celebration on December 4 in the past. I don’t care much about this. I just celebrate it for two days. The longer the party is, the more exciting it is.

Whenever we try a new thing, we start as a beginner. I remember I was fairy new to the IT world and I was just enthusiasm-driven at that time. For example, did you know that Blog Tokyo Direct Diary was born on Google Blogger? I migrated it to WordPress later when I graduated from the beginners’ world!

How the Internet World Changed in the Past 10 Years

Do you remember the Internet of 10 years ago? Or, what do you remember about the old Internet?

There were so many changes. They were like waves in the sea for me!

Photos on the Web Changed

The photo compression technology dramatically developed in the past 10 years.

When I started Tokyo Direct Guide, I had to compress my photos by the old method. For example, look at this cherry blossom photo.

The view is undoubtedly beautiful, but the pic’s quality is not…

But today, thanks to the new method, I can upload crystal clear photos!

Wonderful! I want to say thank you to the developers!

Looking back at the 10 years, I bought a new camera in 2015 and a new laptop in 2021. I changed my cellphone twice. These new devices helped me so much, too. Big hand to them!

SNS Grew Up So Fast and Changed

10 years ago, social networking services were kind of newbies in the Internet world. But they grew up so quickly!

When I started up Tokyo Direct Guide, Facebook was a new thing that the young Americans started and was on the way to the top.

I was a newbie there, too. I had no followers at that time, but today, more than 5000 people from all over the world are following me! It’s just AMAZING. 10 years were so long and I sometimes felt overwhelmed, but now I learn that time and patience were necessary for a new project.

Then, more and more new services came to the Internet world – Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, and you name it. Every time a new one became popular, I made the TDG account on it because people used to say it’s important to bloggers to have many SNS channels.

But they changed their opinion in two or three years. Now they say that it’s better to have only a few and concentrate on them! So I closed some of my accounts. Did you realize that I left Flickr and Pinterest? I know that TikTok is the new star in the SNS world, but I didn’t start it.

Twitter Flied Away – Which is your alternative?

I think the biggest change in the SNS world is Twitter now. And I believe you agree with me, don’t you? It’s not Twitter any longer, but X now!

This change was TERRIBLE. More and more people are leaving it behind now, so honestly, it’s getting meaningless to hold my Twitter… no, X account.

This time, I may start a new SNS to move from Twitter in the near future. I’m thinking of Mastodon at this moment. If you’ve already opened a new SNS account, tell me which platform it is in the comment below. I’ll consider it!

YouTube Changed

YouTube achieved an incredible popularity in the past 10 year. Although it used to be kind of a dangerous site with plenty of computer viruses, it became everyone’s site and “YouTubers” appeared all around the world!

So I made the Tokyo Direct Guide Channel, uploaded some videos of animals in Ueno Zoo and origami instructions.

But after that, my YouTube was almost forgotten… Honestly, I didn’t now what to do to go further because I wasn’t a movie expert.

Then, YouTube had a big change again. As the newbie TikTok became popular worldwide, they launched the short video feature to win the race.

My First Short Video from Tokyo Skytree!

When I was wondering what to do for the 10th anniversary, YouTube suddenly hit me. I’m not a professional movie director, but can I take a good short video with my new smartphone?

So I decided to go to Tokyo Skytree.

The highest view of Tokyo – it’s a present for you!!

AI Jumped into Our Life

Nobody thought of AIs 10 years ago. We might even ask, “What is AI?”

But they are on TV every day today! Especially, generative AIs such as ChatGPT are so hot now.

Let’s Make a Birthday Cake by AI!

I thought this party was a good chance to give it a try, so I made Magic Media in Canva app generate a birthday cake.

“A cake to celebrate the 10th anniversary”… OK, go.

Wow. I don’t say this pic is excellent, but I can use it at least.

The other three generated pics were not good. They were just boring cakes. Mmm… it seems the meaning of “10th” is difficult for the AI to understand.

I preferred to a birthday cake at an exciting party, so I gave it another try by typing, “a birthday cake at the party to celebrate the 10th birthday”.

Good!! I threw away the other boring cakes, but this one is a cake for the 10th birthday put in a party!

… It may look like the 1101st birthday, but I don’t blame on an AI – they are just machines.

OK. Let’s decorate the cake.

Thank you so much for the 10 years of Tokyo Direct Guide.

As I said many times, my Tokyo Direct Guide sites are completely independent from travel agencies and government’s tourism bureaus, so I get support only from ads and search boxes I put on my sites. Yes, YOU support me to go on for 10 years!

My ideas for the 10th year include

• Renewing the main site into a new modern look
• Making a logo of Tokyo Direct Guide
• Opening a new SNS (move from Twitter to an alternative)
• Starting Ko-fi
• Updating the Harajuku Sightseeing Guide
• Updating the article about shopping centers in Shibuya

in my mind now.

I hope to develop Tokyo Direct Guide to the next 1o years (or to the 1101st birthday). I’m so happy to see you on the web and I appreciate your continued support to my sites!

Links – Keep in touch with Tokyo Direct Guide!

Tokyo Direct Guide the Main Site

Facebook

X (former Twitter) – I may move to a new platform in the near future.

YouTube

Instagram

Tumblr

Huffpost interviewed me in 2023.

10th Anniversary of Tokyo Direct Guide🎂🎊🎉 appeared first on Tokyo Direct Diary.

Are you excited to visit Tokyo Game Show? Or do you have a business conference at Makuhari Messe?

How to get there is always important to travelers – especially in a large complicated city like Tokyo. So I write a practical guide and some travel advice in this article. Whichever you are going there for holiday or business, good luck at Makuhari Messe!

Where is Tokyo Game Show Held?

Tokyo Game Show has been held at Makuhari Messe since 1997, a large exhibition hall in Makuhari, a bay side town close to Tokyo City.

It is one of the biggest exhibition halls in Japan with 11 halls and a conference room. Not only TGS, many other business exhibitions and conferences are held there.

How to Get to Makuhari Messe

A 5 minutes walk from Kaihin-Makuhari station of JR Keiyo Line.

To go to Kaihin-Makuhari Station, I advise you to go to Tokyo Station, the very central station of Tokyo, first. Then, you can catch a Keiyo Line train. I think it’s the easiest way.

Link: The Easiest JR Train Map of Tokyo by Tokyo Direct Guide

In case you are staying in Odaiba district, you don’t need to go to Tokyo Station. Take a Rinkai Line train to Shinkiba and change trains into Keiyo Line.

Google Map to Go to Makuhari Messe

I upload the Google Map for you, but I don’t think you’ll get lost to go there.

Once you get off the train at Kaihin Makuhari, you won’t miss it because there are staff members with signs to Makuhari Messe.

Book a Hotel As Soon As Possible

Tokyo Game Show is a big event. A lot of visitors, including domestic and international journalists, come to the district during Tokyo Game Show, so its organizers warn every year that it becomes difficult to book a hotel near Makuhari Messe.

There are some business hotels, which are comfortable enough at reasonable prices.

If you want a good access to TGS, book a hotel as soon as possible because other visitors are thinking the same thing!

Accommodation Advice for Those Who Are Too Late!

If you are too late, or you are looking for a convenient hotel to visit tourist attractions other than TGS as well, the following are my recommendations.

I picked up convenient districts where JR Keiyo Line trains, including its rapid trains, stop.

Option 1: Hotels near Tokyo Station

Tokyo Station is the central station working as a hub in the big city. Actually, Keiyo Line is not a train that stops in many tourist spots, but it does at Tokyo Station.

Of course, Tokyo Station is very convenient to go anywhere. Large and beautiful Imperial Palace is close as well.

29 minutes ride to Makuhari Messe. So, if you stay somewhere else, think of going to Tokyo Station first.

Link: Hotels near Tokyo Station.

Option 2: Hotels in Tokyo Disney Resort Area

Yes, Tokyo Station cannot be a wrong place to stay, but some of you may find a problem when you browse the hotel list. As it is the central place, the hotel prices are pretty high!

In that case, I have another good suggestion to you.

Did you know that Tokyo Disney Resort is located in the same district to Makuhari Messe?

Maihama is the station of Disney Land and Shin-Urayasu is the next.

No matter which you want a great access to TGS or you are going to Disney Resort, it is a good place to stay. To go to Kaihin-Makuhari, 17 minutes ride from Maihama and 13 minutes from Shin-Urayasu by Keiyo Line.

Link: Hotels near Maihama Station

Link: Hotels near Shin-Urayasu

Hope this article is helpful for you!

How to Get to Makuhari Messe – The Easiest Guide to Tokyo Game Show appeared first on Tokyo Direct Diary.

Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station is a collection of official shops of popular characters – Perhaps you remember Part 1 Cute Items and Part 2 Kabuki Shop. Finally this is the Part 3, the last one.

This time, let’s see the manga & anime characters and super heroes. I believe they are so important to some of you. Maybe you plan a trip to Japan to go to these shops!

Jump Shop (Shonen Jump Manga Characters)

Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, My Hero Academia – aren’t they familiar to you? Today, many people regard Japan as a country of manga & anime.

The fact is that many of popular mangas are published on Weekly Shonen Jump, one of the best-selling manga magazines in Japan. (Sorry if it’s common sense for you!)

Jump Shop in Tokyo Character Street is the official shop of the Jump mangas. You might have seen some of these manga heroes. (Sorry if it’s common sense for you!!)

They sell the manga books, official items and Jump magazines. I believe it’s a paradise for some of you!

4 Travel Tips about Jump Shop that You Should Know

I have three travel tips about the Jump Shop. You are lucky to come to this article!

Get a Copy of Weekly Shonen Jump!

First, I STRONGLY advise you to buy a copy of the latest Shonen Jump here.

It’s just great to read the latest chapter of the popular mangas, but actually, you have more to enjoy. In Weekly Shonen Jump, even campaign pages, ads and new face award announcements are funny like a manga!

What’s more, as a magazine, the publish date is written on the front page. I’m sure it’ll be a lifetime souvenir of your trip to Japan.

The latest copy is out on Monday (or Saturday when Monday is a public holiday).

Signatures of Jump Manga Artists

Sometimes we can see some signatures of Jump manga artists at Jump Shop. I can’t tell when – Just take a chance!

More Shops to See Manga & Anime Characters

There are Japanese TV stations’ official shops in Tokyo Character Street.

They may not interest you, but it’s too early to leave them. Some shops have anime character items, too. For example, Fuji TV broadcasts One Piece, so we can see Luffy at Fuji TV’s shop.

TV stations’ shops are good to browse when your favorite manga is not a Jump manga as well. For example, you’ll meet Detective Konan in Nittere-ya (Nihon TV Shop.)

Have a Bowl of Ramen like Naruto!

Are you a Naruto fan? If so, I advise you NEVER to go back when you are satisfied to get Naruto items.

Actually, there is Tokyo Ramen Street in the same floor to Tokyo Character Street!! Popular ramen restaurants run their branch there, so some people even visit Tokyo Station for ramen! I also advise you to avoid the peak such as lunch time – from my experience, the ramen restaurants are so popular.

When you bought Naruto items at Jump Shop, have a bowl of ramen just as Naruto does!

Super Heroes & Heroines in Anime & Tokusatsu

Ultraman World M73

Ultraman is a Japanese super hero who has been loved by Japanese people since 1960s.

He came from the space and fight against monsters that appeared on the earth to protect people. A real super hero, isn’t he?

TV shows of super heroes like Ultraman use SFX and it attracts some movie fans so much. Today, this kind of super hero shows are known as “tokusatsu” internationally. Have you seen Ultraman?

Precure Pretty Store

Ordinary girls (and boys these days) transfigure into a legendary fighter and fight against villains robbing people of hope – “Precure” has been a popular anime series for more than 20 years.

This anime is basically for little kids, but it also encourages parents and grownups every Sunday.

Even if you don’t know them, you possibly know “Sailor Moon”. “Precure” is in the same family tree in the anime industry.

When I entered the store, I saw many pop-ups saying, “limited Item”. I heard that Precure has some international fans, so I think they are important to some of you.

If you are a Precure fan, it’s definitely the right place to visit.

Kamen Rider Store

Kamen Rider is a tokusatsu hero. The protagonist transfigures into a super hero and go to save people under attack by villains on a motorbike.

Amazingly, the first drama was on-air on TV in 1971 and a new story comes out every year. There are many enthusiastic fans (including my friend!). Are you one of them?

Toys in Our Childhood

LEGO Shop

Perhaps it’s very familiar to some of you. It’s Lego’s official shop!

As you can see in the photo, you have chances to find Japanese characters’ toys. I found Mario when I recently went there and I saw some ninjas, too. I think it’s worth entering the shop.

Tomica & Plarail

Tomica is a brand of miniature cars.

They are more than toys for kids. Each car is so detailed and well-made from the viewpoint of adults. Toyota, Porsche, London Bus, ambulances, racing cars… They are all based on the real, specific car models, so there are many enthusiastic collectors.

Even if you felt that it is not a shop for you, you’ll change your mind when you hear that Tomika sometimes collaborates with other characters.

I’ve ever seen Rilakkuma cars, Pikachu cars, Hello Kitty cars, Mario cars, Snoopy cars, Miffy cars, and Star Wars cars! So interesting, aren’t they?

Not only cars, but we can find miniature trains at the Plarail shop.

The importance of TRAINS depends on the country. I suppose that they are just practical and boring transportation in some countries and people use cars and ferries in their daily lives. But in Japan, trains are definitely the main transportation. As a result, Plarail has enthusiastic collectors as well as Tomica.

How about getting a miniature train that you took in Japan?

In Conclusion

All About Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station is completed now. Hope my articles are helpful for you.

In conclusion, I’d like to say that anyone will find something attractive in the 30+ shops in Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station.

Tokyo is a big city with many different aspects – Some travelers visit there to experience traditional Japanese culture and others head to pop culture such as mangas and animes. Whichever you are, you can enjoy something when you drop in at Tokyo Station.

Have a wonderful trip in Tokyo!

<Read This Article on your smartphone OFFLINE – Get the article app here!>

All About Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station

1. Part 1: Kawaii (Cute) Items – Pokemon, Tamagotchi, My Neighbor Totoro & other Ghibli characters, Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma & Kapibara-san. Also, a list of all the 26 shops and practical guides to Tokyo Character Street for those who are really visiting there.
2. Part 2: The Best Japanese Souvenirs at Kabuki Shop – About kabuki (traditional Japanese drama) official shop & my recommendation

Tokyo Character Street Visitor Information

Location: Yaesu North Exit underground floor in Tokyo Station, inside First Avenue Tokyo Station (also called, Tokyo Eki Ichibangai in Japanese)

The Easiest JR Train Map & Subway Maps of Tokyo City – Have simplified train and subway maps for your comfortable trip to visit Tokyo Station!

How to get to Tokyo Character Street: Go out of Yaesu North Exit of Tokyo Station and go down stairs to B1 floor. Or, Go out of Yaesu Central Exit, go left and go down to B1 floor.

Opening Hours of the Shops

10:00 – 20:30 every day

Helpful Links for Visitors

First Avenue Tokyo Station Official Website (English)

Hotels near Tokyo Station

Join a Tour for Anime & Games

Akihabara Anime & Gaming Adventure Tour

Manga, Anime & Tokusatsu Shops in One Place! – All About Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station Part 3 appeared first on Tokyo Direct Diary.

If you love some Japanese characters, there is a perfect place to go shopping in Tokyo Station. It’s Tokyo Character Street.

The point is that many character item shops gather in one single floor like a street, and importantly, all of them are official shops of the character!

In this article, I pick up the CUTE characters we can see there.

I’ll write the practical guide to get there as I always do. Enjoy!

Pokemon Store Tokyo Station

There are Pokemon Centers and Pokemon Stores in Japan, and the Stores are smaller than the Centers. We find a Store in Tokyo Character Street.

Then, some of you may want to go to a bigger Center such as Mega Tokyo in Ikebukuro for the full experience.

However, Pokemon Store in Tokyo Character Street can’t be missed.

This Pokemon Store has the latest Pokemon official items as well as the Centers. Located in the very central station where a lot of travelers stop by, they always offer a wide range of items. I think it’s satisfactory enough for many of you.

More importantly, you can’t meet the Station Master Pikachu items anywhere but here!

If you are a big fan of Pokemon, I think it’s another must-go.

Travel Tip: It depends on the display, but we have some chances to see the signatures of Junichi Masuda, Tsunekazu Ishihara and Shoko Nakagawa. See the proof here!

Helpful Links

• Guide to Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo
• About Pokemon Center’s Birthday Presents

Donguri Republic (Studio Ghibli Official Shop)

My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away… Studio Ghibli official shop has been a popular shop in Tokyo Character Street.

I must say that the official items sold at Donguri Republic are very, very high-quality.

Just small accessories, towels, dishes, dioramas are amazingly detailed. The mild, soft, natural tastes of Totoro and other Ghibli anime movies are realized very well.

They always offer wonderful seasonal items. Personally, I love the Totoro’s music box very much.

You might not have time to visit Ghibli Museum – or you are visiting Japan for Ghibli. Whichever you are, Tokyo Character Street is the perfect place.

Helpful Links

• A Trip to Ghibli Museum & Practical Travel Information

Rilakkuma Store

Rilakkuma is popular internationally now. I’ve learned on SNS how many Rilakkuma fans are in the world!

I think that Rilakkuma Store is the biggest shop in Tokyo Character Street. There are always many customers at the checkout counters.

Rilakkuma Store is in Kiddy Land Harajuku, too. Comparing the two Rilakkuma Stores, Tokyo Character Street has a wide range of Rilakkuma items beside Kiddy Land has other San-X characters such as Jimbe san, etc.

If you are a fan of Sumikko Gurashi, its official shop opened in Tokyo Character Street in 2017!

Helpful Links

• Harajuku Sightseeing Guide by Tokyo Direct Guide

Koupen-chan Store

I must say that the pandemic changed Tokyo Character Street so much. 

You may remember that I showed you Kapibara-san Shop in this article. When we go there, we find a new shop – Koupen-chan.

Honestly I don’t know this character very well, but at least the new comer is cute, too. Getting along with the tradition of Tokyo Character Street, the cute penguin wears the station master costume!

Sumikko-gurashi Shop

As I referred above, Sumikko-gurashi is a brand by Rilakkuma’s company.

The official shop opened in Tokyo Character Street in 2017 and got renewed during the pandemic.

Sumikko is a relatively new brand, but it’s pretty popular in Japan. It’s a collection of cute animals (and some foods!), so you’ll find your favorite characters.

In my opinion, it’s fantastic to get MANY of them and explore the world in your room.

If you are a cute character fan, this shop is a new must-see!

Kirby Cafe PETIT

I’m sure that some of you will be so excited to hear this. Kirby Cafe newly opened in Tokyo Character Street!!

It’s named “cafe”, but all cakes and candies are to go. We can get the limited Kirby items, too.

Kirby Cafe is pretty popular. I think you can enter anytime, but if you want to make sure to buy the cakes and items, I advise you to go there before the station gets crowded.

Other 19 Shop List of Tokyo Character Street

So, how were the cute shops I showed you?

In addition, I’ll list up all the other shops in Tokyo Character Street.

1. Precure Pretty Store
2. Snoopy Town mini
3. miffy style
4. Shochiku Kabuki-ya Honpo
5. Crayon Shin-chan Official Shop
6. Sumikko Gurashi Shop
7. Prism Stone Pripara Shop
8. Tokyo Gashapon Street (capsule toys)
9. JUMP SHOP (An official item shop of Shonen Jump, the leading manga magazine. It includes One Piece, Naruto, Breach, Dragon Ball, etc.)
10. PLARAIL SHOP (miniature trains)
11. TOMICA SHOP (miniature cars)
12. Ultraman Shop (super heroes)
13. LEGO click brick
14. mofusand store
15. JACKIE’S DREAM
16. K-spot (a mini shop by Kiddy Land, the toy store)
17. Chiikawa Land
18. Disney Avenue
19. LINE CREATORS SHOP

There are SO MANY, aren’t they?

You’ll find some characters from foreign countries such as Disney, Miffy and Snoopy. You have some chances to see them in kimono or a station master costume!

Why You Can’t Miss Japanese TV Stations’ Official Shops

And the following are the shops of Japanese TV stations. They sell Japanese TV program related items, so their customers are mainly Japanese locals.

But, actually, you have chances to meet some popular character items there because the animes are broadcast by one of these TV stations. So I add some hints for you.

1. NHK Character Shop
2. Fuji TV Shop – One Piece anime, etc.
3. TV TOKYO Shop – Pokemon anime, etc.
4. TBS Store – K-on! anime, etc.
5. Nittere-ya (Nihon TV shop) – Detective Konan, etc.
6. TV ASAHI Shop – Doraemon, etc.

In Conclusion – to be continued.

Next time I talk about Tokyo Character Street, I’ll show you the other shops including kabuki shop. I’m so happy to share the cute characters I love!

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All About Tokyo Character Street

1. All About Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station Part 1: Kawaii (Cute) Items
2. The Best Japanese Souvenirs at Kabuki Shop – All About Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station Part 2
3. 5+ Cool Shops of Heroes, Heroines & Machines – All About Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station Part 3

Visitor Information

Location

Yaesu North Exit underground floor in Tokyo Station, inside First Avenue Tokyo Station (also called, Tokyo Eki Ichibangai in Japanese)

The Easiest JR Train Map & Subway Maps of Tokyo City – Have simplified train and subway maps for your comfortable trip to visit Tokyo Station!

Travel Tip: The subway station of Otemachi is connected to Tokyo Station.

How to get to Tokyo Character Street

Go out of Yaesu North Exit of Tokyo Station and go down stairs to B1 floor. Or, Go out of Yaesu Central Exit, go left and go down to B1 floor.

Travel Tip: Yaesu is the opposite side to Marunouchi exits. Yaesu is the east district of Tokyo Station, where some Daimaru and some other old department stores are. Marunouchi is a district leading to Imperial Palace that is famous for cherry blossoms.

Opening Hours of the Shops

10:00 – 20:30 every day

Link: First Avenue Tokyo Station Official Website (English)

Hotels Near Tokyo Station

Since Tokyo Station is the very central station, staying here will never be annoying for anyone.

There are 5-star luxury hotels including Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, etc. You’ll have the breathtaking views of Imperial Palace from some of them.

If you want a different experience from the worldwide hotels, The Tokyo Station Hotel is part of the station made of retro modern bricks!

Link: Hotels near Tokyo Station

Read MORE: Fun Links

• Tumblr of Tokyo Direct Guide – The CUTEST social channel of mine.
• Pokemon Center in Ikebukuro – a Report of “Mega” Opening & Guide to Visit there
• Memories of Tamagotchi Department Store in Harajuku & Tokyo Station – There used to be Tamagotchi Store Tokyo in Tokyo Character Street. I moved the photos to the article about tamagotchi shops in 2013.)

[Update History]

Originally published on 11 March, 2015. Updated in 2017 when some shops closed and new shops opened.

Fully renewed on 3 September, 2023.

All About Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station Part 1: Kawaii (Cute) Items appeared first on Tokyo Direct Diary.

As I wrote in Accommodation Advice, Tokyo is a large city with many interesting districts and hundreds of hotels.

In this post, I’ll show you how fascinating the district around Hamamatsucho Station is. 

I’ve received some thank-you messages from international travelers for this article. You’ll be the next!

(I know it’s so hard for many people to pronounce the name of this station. To make it easy, divide it into 3 parts, “Hama- matsu-cho.” In Japanese language, it is written in 3 characters.)

The Key to Find the Best District to Stay

I suppose some of you are looking for a hotel in Tokyo and confused with the place-names like Ginza, Shimbashi, Tsukiji, etc. For example, you might be wondering, “Is Inter Continental Tokyo Bay good enough? Where is Akasaka??”

The key to find the best hotel for you in Tokyo is to understand the map and the train stations.

First of all, open The Easiest JR Train Map.

Link: The Easiest JR(Japan Railway) Train Map by Tokyo Direct Guide (open in a new window)

Many first-time travelers get overwhelmed to see the full train map. And at the same time, you’ll learn the importance of JR train stations – the hubs and many popular places in Tokyo are on the JR railroad. Eventually, you can get a great advantage if you stay near a JR station.

How Convenient Hamamatsucho Is

From a local’s point of view, I think Hamamatsucho is a good place for ANYONE to stay.

JR Trains to Go Anywhere in Tokyo

First, Hamamatsucho Station is a very convenient place to catch a train of JR Yamanote Line and JR Keihin Tohoku Line. This enables you to go ANYWHERE IN TOKYO so easily! These two lines include Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ueno, Akihabara, etc, so you can go to these popular places without changing trains.

It’s a great relief in the big city know as a maze, isn’t it?

Subways to Go to the Popular Places

You might think, “How can I go to Asakusa from there?”

Then, open the Easiest Subway Maps I made.

Link: The Easiest Subway Maps of Tokyo

Daimon Station, which is connected with Hamamatsucho Station, has two subway lines; Asakusa Subway Line and Oedo Subway Line.

You just sit on an Asakusa Subway Line train and will arrive at Asakusa and Oshiage(Tokyo Skytree). No stress again!

Terminal from/to Haneda Airport

If you will arrive at Tokyo Haneda Airport, Hamamatsucho is the terminal station of Tokyo Monorail to go to Tokyo City.

So when you land on the airport, you can just jump into the monorail, sit there until it stops at the last station and check in the hotel soon. It’s so easy! And the return is same. If you will have a domestic flight, you can take the monorail from the terminal again.

But not only the convenience. The point is that the district has beautiful views of Tokyo’s bayside area. Let’s see them with many photos! There are some cherry blossoms as well…

The Nearest JR Station to Go to Tokyo Tower!

Tokyo Tower has not been working as a broadcasting tower since Tokyo Skytree opened, but it is still be loved as a symbol of Tokyo. You’ll see how attractive the red tower is in the all-silver building scenery of Tokyo. At night, it is lighted up.

But how can we get there exactly? Actually, many people can’t tell!

The important fact is that Hamamatsucho is the nearest JR train station to Tokyo Tower.

Can you see? If you stay around it, you’ll never get lost to go there.

Read More: How to get to Tokyo Tower – the simplest explanations & maps

Link: Tokyo Tower Official Website

Hidden Gem: Kyu-Shiba-Rikyu Gardens

Everyone knows Tokyo Tower, but I know a “hidden gem” just in front of Hamamatsucho Station. There is a beautiful Japanese garden in 1 minute walk from the busy train station.

It’s a calm place in the middle of the megalopolis. Beautiful, isn’t it?

Built by a samurai in the 17th century, it is one of the oldest samurai gardens which remain today, along with Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens. Now it is registered as a Place of Scenic Beauty of Japan.

As you see, this garden is made up for a large pond and plants surrounding it.

You may get surprised that there is a large and wide space in the middle of Tokyo City.

Every time I went there, I see many kinds of people – photographers shooting birds and flowers, travelers with suitcases waiting for the time to go to Haneda Airport, picnicking families, office workers around Hamamatsucho Station, etc. If you arrive at or fly from Haneda Airport, you can see the monorail you get!

[Opening Hours]

9:00 – 17:00

Entrance Fee: 150 yen for an adult

Hidden Cherry Blossom Spot in Tokyo!

What’s important is that – you may have realized – it’s a great garden to see cherry blossoms!

We will be surrounded by cherry blossoms from the feet to head. I think it’s really an amazing experience.

Although it is such a beautiful place, it is not counted as a top place for cherry blossoms. That’s why there are just moderate number of visitors.

What’s more, remember that Hamamatsucho is the nearest JR station to Tokyo Tower…

The view cannot be better in Tokyo!!!

More Beautiful Things to See in the Garden

I showed you many cherry blossom pics, but it is not the only attraction here. Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden is beautiful enough without them.

To talk about seasonal natural beauty, wisteria will bloom in early May. It’s a good place to see autumn leaves as well.

Don’t forget living lives there, too. When it’s sunny, I always see turtles sunbathing on a rock.

It’s a place for birds, too.

In my opinion, it is excellent and compact at the same time.

It is far smaller than famous Shinjuku Gyoen Park, Hama-Rikyu Garden, etc, but it has every essence of beauty of Japanese gardens. I’m sure you will experience the most without being exhausted by walking too much. The entrance fee is very cheap, too.

Tourist attractions that  are on every travel guidebook are not all. I proudly recommend Kyu Shiba Rikyu Gardens for international travelers.

5-Star Hotels near Hamamatsucho & Shimbashi Station

If you have searched for hotels in Tokyo, one of the hotels below may be in your mind.

• The Prince Park Tower Tokyo (12 minutes walk from Hamamatsucho, neighboring to Tokyo Tower!)
• Tokyo Prince Hotel(10 minutes walk from Hamamatsucho, 3 minutes to Tokyo Tower!)
• Conrad Tokyo (5 minutes walk from Shimbashi Station)
• InterContinental Tokyo Bay (Free shuttle from Hamamatsucho Station. Facing the bay!)
• The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Tokyo Shiodome (3 minutes walk from Shimbashi Station, the next station from/to Hamamatsucho)
• Daiichi Hotel Tokyo (2 minutes walk from Shimbashi Station)

We find so many 5-star hotels on the map. Actually, some of them are not located in a very convenient place, (I strongly hope you avoid them to make your travel better!) but these hotels are convenient to visit anywhere in Tokyo. Some are international luxury hotel chains and others are run by Japanese hotel companies, but undoubtedly, all of them are 5 Star Hotels.

Browse them and find your best choice. If one of them is in your mind, no need to hesitate to book it!

And in my opinion, Tokyo Monorail is the best way to go to Haneda Airport because of the beautiful bay side views which make me excited, “Oh, I’m flying today!”

If you are going to visit Asakusa and/or O-Daiba, Shimbashi has the good connections to Ginza Subway Line and Yurikamome Line.

More Hotels around Hamamatsucho & Shimbashi

You’ll find many hotels in the wide range of features and prices. Not only 5 Star hotels, there are also reasonable hotels near Hamamatsucho Station like this.

Link: Hotel MyStays Hamamatsucho (Easy to find in the street, good reputations on Booking.com)

In Conclusion

I strongly wish you’ll have a comfortable trip in Tokyo – This is one of the missions of Tokyo Direct Guide.

Tokyo is known as a very complicated city, but if you learn some tips that locals know, you can travel so FREELY and enjoy much more of Tokyo.

Glad if this post is helpful for you!

A Guide to Hamamatsucho – All About its Attractions, Hotels and Transportation appeared first on Tokyo Direct Diary.

Today’s people love cellphones, tablets and laptops so much. We spend much time to check up beautiful pics and interesting stories on SNS today. But we sometimes want to see the real nature far from our busy life. Yes, we need an escape travel!

I’m one of them. Even if I often say that Tokyo is NOT a concrete jangle with many beautiful parks and gardens, I wanted to have a trip to a place that is full of fresh green. Then, I picked up Karuizawa for my next destination. It was really WONDERFUL, so I’m sharing my trip with you!

5 Fast Facts about Karuizawa

All international travelers know Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, but may not Karuizawa. You might think, “Where’s that? Is it kind of a hidden gem that few people visit?”

But actually, Karuizawa is a beautiful destination that all Japanese people have heard of.

A long explanation is boring, so I’ll summarize up the 5 points.

1. highland resort town
2. real nature
3. rare birds and animals
4. just 1 hour from Tokyo
5. loved by famous Japanese poets and artists

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Karuizawa cannot be a wrong place to visit in Japan!

Karuizawa Wild Bird Sanctuary

When I read the guidebook, Hoshino Area especially attracted my attention among the several areas in Karuizawa.

This area is famous for the hot spring bath and villa-type accommodation, and especially, the Wild Bird Sanctuary seemed to be a fantastic place for me who wanted to escape!

It’s real Japanese woods, not an artificial park, and a wildlife protection area by the government, but it is not so hard to go there – just 20 minutes  from Karuizawa Station by bus.

I made up my mind to go there. I got the Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) ticket and the only thing I had to consider was the cooler climate than Tokyo.

Interesting Animal Check List

Talking about travels, interesting animals always attract us. I was so excited when I learned who live there on the guidebook!

Japanese serow

I think the most interesting animal inhabit there is this; Japanese serow.

You thought that you saw this animal in the Studio Ghibli anime, didn’t you? At least, I did.

What’s more, they live only in Japan! We have some chances to see them in the woods in Karuizawa.

Japanese serow is an endangered species, but the number is increasing these years because of the project to protect them.

(*photo sourced from Wikipedia.)

Japanese giant flying squirrel

There is another endangered species in the wood in Karuizawa; Japanese giant flying squirrel.

They are nocturnal, so we can’t see them when the sun is up in the sky. I’m a person far from nocturnal, so I couldn’t see them face to face, but I saw this sign there…

This kind of signs exist wherever rare species inhabit in the world – kangaroo warnings, wombat warnings, and the Japanese giant flying squirrel is a Japan-limited species, too. (Wikipedia)

If you are serious to see the flying squirrels, apply to the night tour at Piccio, the wildlife research center.

Even the entrance of the woods was beautiful… I advise you to remember that it’s a cozy cafe, too. They serve a nice cup of coffee.

Bears and Others

Because of the rich nature, I learned that bears live there, too.

I saw some serious hikers with a bell tied to their backpack, but I didn’t. As you see, I’m completely safe and fine back in Tokyo.

Beside bears, we have chances to see other birds and animals that we can never see in the busy city.

Ooruri, blue-and-white Flycatchers, live in the woods… Let’s search for the blue bird!

My Adventure to the Real Japanese Nature

So I jumped into the green world with Japanese wildlife in Karuizawa. Then, did I see the rare animals on my trip?

Sorry, I couldn’t see the real Ghibli animals. They are considered to be special because they rarely show up in front of us!

But I’m not saying that I wasn’t satisfied with my trip. The nature in Karuizawa was really beautiful and I was so impressed to see a lot of lives living there.

First, when I got off the bus, I was so excited to see some cherry blossoms. Amazing, it was the first week of May!

The cool air made me feel that I arrived in a highland. Cherry blossoms bloom later in the cold climate than in Tokyo. We should remember this as a travel tip.

And the following are the wildlife I saw there. I wish you can find how much I enjoyed…

It was so relaxing that the voices of birds and frogs are all around me…

Moreover, hiking gears are NOT required to take a walk there. Although it is a wildlife protection area, the pathway is human-friendly with the woodchips on the ground.

I saw many bird watchers with apparently-professional-looking cameras.

At the entrance, I found the sculpture of the founder of Wild Bird Society of Japan (the 50000+ members are known to be experts at finding and counting wild birds) and learned that he loved the woods very much.

Things to Do in Hoshino Area in Karuizawa

The real Japanese nature was good enough, but it is not all of Karuizawa: It’s a culturally interesting place, too.

Hot Spring Bath Loved by Famous Artists

As I said above, Hoshino Area is famous for the hot spring bath; Hoshino Onsen.

I don’t have any photos of the inside (of course!), but I felt so refreshed to take a bath after walking around in the wood. The building was recently renewed, so the locker-room and the bathtubs were very clean and user-friendly. The hot water sprang from the real nature and we can take a bath surrounded by that nature – it’s an experience that I never have in Tokyo.

What made Hoshino Onsen hot spring is the important poets and artists around 100 years ago. Hakushu Kitahara, who is one of the most important poets in modern Japan, did his modernization movement for literature and education in Hoshino district. Moreover, Akiko & Hiroshi Yosano, the poet couple on every history textbook in Japan, stayed here, took a bath, too, and made some poems to praise the beautiful nature.

Now I understand why the important artists got inspired from this place.

Restaurant & Cafe Area (Harunire Terrace)

Being the place of the modernization movements led by famous writers and artists around 100 years ago, restaurants and cafes were fantastic in Karuizawa.

I got the ice cream – the shop is run by the farm inside Nagano Prefecture. A cup of ice cream is available anywhere around us, but I want to emphasize that this was SPECIAL!

I believe that the freshest ingredients made it so delicious.

Travel Tip: Never forget ordering the sweat bean flavor (right in the photo) when you visit Karuizawa. The beans (hana-mame) cannot be seen anywhere other than highlands.

In Conclusion

So my trip to Karuizawa was fantastic. I was right to decide to go there. It was a perfect escape travel from today’s busy life.

While I’m writing this article, I still feel as if I heard birds singing all around. Seriously, I feel healthier than before my trip.

When you visit Tokyo, how about taking a Shinkansen train for 1 hour and exploring the REAL Japanese nature in Karuizawa?

Travel Guide

How to Get to Karuizawa

Take a Shinkansen train (Hakutaka or Asama) at Tokyo Station. 1 hour to Karuizawa.

If you go to Hoshino Area, take the Seibu bus to Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu. A 15 minutes ride. It’s also fine to take a Shinano Railway train to Naka-Karuizawa (the next station) or take a taxi.

(I personally went to Hoshino Area, but the area around Karuizawa Station is beautiful and interesting with full of the nature and Karuizawa culture.)

Helpful Links

Hoshino Area Official Website (English) – The lecture about how to take a bath will be helpful.

Piccio, the Wildlife Research Center, Official Site (English) – You can book a tour.

Accommodation

Karuizawa is a resort town, so it is not hard to find a good hotel at all.

There are many luxury hotels such as Prince Hotel, Hoshino Resort Hotel, etc. Also, you can find guest houses, which are not very common in Japan.

If you want to save money, you can book reasonable hotels, too. I think Karuizawa is the last place to get tired to find accommodation you like.

A Trip to Karuizawa – Escape to the Real Japanese Nature appeared first on Tokyo Direct Diary.

This is the 10th year for me to share the cherry blossom forecast for Japan with you.

Thank you so much for following Tokyo Direct Guide for so long and hope you enjoy it in 2023!!

(Whenever there is an update on the forecast, I’ll tell you on my Twitter and Facebook. Follow me to catch up!)

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 26 January)

Tokyo: Start to open on 22 March / Reach peak on 30 March

Osaka: 26 March / 2 April

Kyoto: 26 March / 3 April

Nara: 27 March / 3 April

Nagoya: 23 March / 1 April

Fukuoka: 19 March / 28 March

Hiroshima: 23 March /3 April

Sendai: 6 April / 11 April

Sapporo: 26 April / 30 April

(Sourced from Weathermap)

According to the forecasters, the cherry blossom season will be average or a little early in Japan in 2023. In North East Japan and Hokkaido, it is earlier than average because it will be warm in April.

Cherry Blossom Forecast (Released on 9 February)

The forecast was updated on 9 February. Let’s compare it with the previous one!

Tokyo: Start to open on 22 March / Reach peak on 30 March

Osaka: 27 March / 3 April

Kyoto: 26 March / 3 April

Nara: 28 March / 4 April

Nagoya: 23 March / 1 April

Fukuoka: 20 March / 30 March

Hiroshima: 23 March / 4 April

Sendai: 6 April / 11 April

Sapporo: 27 April / 1 May

According to Weathermap, the the sakura season is forecast to be a little later than the previous prediction because it will be cold in late February. So what I wait for next is whether the weather forecast comes true or not. At least I’m preparing for snow today because it will be snowy tomorrow!

I think Osaka, Kyoto and Nara are just like the traditional Japanese spring. I’ve seen some heartbroken travelers on my SNS because cherry blossoms opened too early… I wish cherry trees listen to this forecast and go along with it this year!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (16 February)

Weathermap quietly released the latest forecast on 16 February, but it was shocking to me!

Tokyo: Start to open on 17 March / Reach peak on 25 March

Osaka: 23 March / 31 March

Kyoto: 21 March / 30 March

Nara: 23 March / 1 April

Nagoya: 19 March / 30 March

Fukuoka: 17 March / 28 March

Hiroshima: 21 March / 2 April

Sendai: 1 April / 7 April

Sapporo: 26 April / 29 April

It’s so early, isn’t it?? I wanted the explanation why they changed it so dramatically, but they don’t say anything. I just wish the forecast will change again…

Cherry Blossom Forecast (9 March)

It’s so warm this week in Tokyo. I’m happy about that but it means cherry trees misunderstand that spring is coming at the corner!

Tokyo: Start to open on 16 March / Reach peak on 23 March

Osaka: 22 March / 28 March

Kyoto: 21 March / 27 March

Nara: 22 March / 28 March

Nagoya: 18 March / 27 March

Fukuoka: 16 March / 25 March

Hiroshima: 18 March / 27 March

Sendai: 25 March / 29 March

Sapporo: 23 April / 26 April

People in Sendai might black out…

By the way, I see the early kind of cherry blossoms are flourishing this week.

So beautiful, aren’t they?

Early kinds are as tall as we are, but the blossoms are beautiful enough! You have chances to see them in many places.

Cherry Blossoms Started to Open in Tokyo!

News FLASH!! The forecasters announced that cherry blossoms started to open in Tokyo on 14 March! They say this equals the earliest record in the history.

It means that they found 5 blossoms on the specific tree in Yasukuni Shrine – 5 blossoms. So I haven’t seen any standard cherry blossoms yet.

But White Day is insanely early for cherry blossoms… I think some of you with the flight ticket were shocked to hear this.

Anyway I’ll keep updating this article. That’s the only thing I can do…

Cherry Blossom Forecast (16 March)

So this is the updated forecast.

Tokyo: Start to open on 14 March / Reach peak on 22 March

Osaka: 21 March / 27 March

Kyoto: 21 March / 27 March

Nara: 22 March / 27 March

Nagoya: 17 March / 26 March

Fukuoka: 18 March / 26 March

Hiroshima: 18 March / 26 March

Sendai: 25 March / 29 March

Sapporo: 20 April / 24 April

As far as I see this, only Tokyo is exceptional…

I’m in a hurry to go to somewhere to see cherry blossoms. I haven’t decided where to go yet because I merely thought the sakura season would be this early! When I take beautiful pics, I’ll surely upload them in this article. Stay tuned!!

My Photos on 20 March

I went to Kyu Shiba Rikyu Gardens to see cherry blossoms!! I’m so excited to share my photos with you!!

Yes, I saw some cherry blossoms, but…

I was able to enjoy some beautiful blossoms, but they were not at the peak.

In fact, the weather forecast for the coming week is not very nice – they say it’ll be cloudy and rainy almost every day. I wish it won’t come true. I hope to go to see cherry blossoms again – hopefully with the clear blue sky!

About this place: A Guide to Hamamatsucho – All About its Attractions, Hotels and Transportation

They Are Blooming Fully in Tokyo!

On 22 March, the forecasters announced that cherry blossoms reached the peak in Tokyo! It was so warm on that day, so it seems they rapidly popped to open.

But actually, Tokyo locals don’t agree with the forecasters fully. As far as I see it, there are some cherry trees being at the peak, but not all. I think it highly depends on the individual tree this year.

This is the forecast released on 23 March.

Tokyo: Start to open on 14 March / Reach peak on 22 March

Osaka: 19 March / 25 March

Kyoto: 17 March / 24 March

Nara: 20 March / 25 March

Nagoya: 17 March / 26 March

Fukuoka: 18 March / 26 March

Hiroshima: 19 March / 27 March

Sendai: 26 March / 30 March

Sapporo: 18 April / 22 April

I’m planning to view cherry blossoms of this year now. When I go somewhere, I’ll surely share the pics with you!

Ueno Park (24 March)

Beside the forecasters excited at the cherry buds opening, the weather clouds many locals and travelers. It has been cloudy or rainy for a week, so some people even say the sakura season of this year is disappointing.

But I think it’s too early to get disappointed just because of clouds. When I arrived at Ueno Park, I thought I was right to come to sakura-viewing. Yes, they were blooming fully!!

As you see, the clouds were broken – for some minutes. I uploaded the best photos, but if you were there, you’d enjoy the beautiful views more. Whenever I go to Ueno Park Cherry Blossom Festival, I feel that photos can’t beat the real things.

About this place: Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) Ueno, Japan – Why You Shouldn’t Miss Shinobazu Pond!

Kyu Shiba Rikyu Gardens (1 April)

The longer, the better. I’m so happy that cherry blossoms are lasting long!!

I went to Kyu Shiba Rikyu Gardens again in April.

Look at this view. It’s PERFECT!!

Not only me. Many Tokyo locals say they are happy to enjoy cherry blossoms for long this year!

Moreover, I believe that cherry trees were friendly to travelers, too. When the sakura season starts early and leaves soon – it really happened some years ago – , it’s a tragedy for travelers flying from far away from Japan. But this year, some of you who got the flight ticket in early April caught up with the peak of cherry blossoms, didn’t you?

I couldn’t predict how the sakura season would go when the buds started to open, but now I can say that it was a very good year!

Cherry Blossom Forecast (13 April)

How was your cherry blossom season? Now the sakura front is landing on Hokkaido!

Tokyo: Start to open on 14 March / Reach peak on 22 March

Osaka: 19 March / 27 March

Kyoto: 17 March / 24 March

Nara: 20 March / 27 March

Nagoya: 17 March / 27 March

Fukuoka: 18 March / 26 March

Hiroshima: 19 March / 28 March

Sendai: 26 March / 31 March

Sapporo: 16 April / 21 April

According to Weathermap, the sakura season is remarkably early in many places in Hokkaido.

Cherry Blossom Forecast (20 April)

Cherry blossoms reached to Hokkaido! It’s remarkably early, so Hokkaido locals are surprised.

Tokyo: Start to open on 14 March / Reach peak on 22 March

Osaka: 19 March / 27 March

Kyoto: 17 March / 24 March

Nara: 20 March / 27 March

Nagoya: 17 March / 27 March

Fukuoka: 18 March / 26 March

Hiroshima: 19 March / 28 March

Sendai: 26 March / 31 March

Sapporo: 15 April / 21 April

Today, I have an exciting announcement in the following!

GPS Map App Giveaway!!

You may remember GPSmyCity, the GPS map and navigation app for travelers.

Go to https://www.gpsmycity.com/

As the pandemic is fading from the world now, they are giving away the premium yearly memberships of the app FREE OF CHARGE!

To get the prize,

1. Download GPSmyCity app.
2. Proceed to the Account screen to register GPSmyCity user account.
3. Go to “More” screen and “Feedback” to send them an email, which will include the claim code, from within the app. The claim code for TDG readers is 24150424.

You need to email them the claim code by 1 May.

This giveaway is valid for up to 10 people. Hurry up!!

Read More about Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo

Asakusa (Sumida River)

The top tourist spot in Tokyo is famous for cherry blossoms, too. Actually, Sumida Riverside has been loved by Tokyo locals for hundreds of years! Today we can see beautiful cherry blossoms with the new symbol – Tokyo Skytree.

Perfect Guide of Asakusa Sumida River Cherry Blossom Festival

World’s Easiest Asakusa Sightseeing Guide

Ueno Park

Ueno Park is definitely one of the best spots in Tokyo. I love it so much!

Ueno Park Cherry Blossom Festival – Why You Shouldn’t Miss Shinobazu Pond

Perfect Guide to Ueno Park Cherry Blossom Festival IN THE EVENING

3 Reasons to Visit Ueno Park AFTER Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Festival

World’s Easiest Ueno Travel Guide

Imperial Palace

I think that Asakusa, Ueno Park and Imperial Palace are the Big 3. Whichever you visit, you’ll never regret your choice.

Imperial Palace (Chidorigafuchi) Cherry Blossom Festival

Japanese Gardens

Visiting a Japanese garden is a good option, too.

My advice is that, if you are too early or late to meet the peak of cherry blossoms, just go to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. It is the largest garden in Tokyo, so you can see early or late kinds of cherry blossoms there. YOU DON’T NEED TO GIVE UP.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

The Huge Weeping Cherry Tree in Rikugien Garden

Koishikawa Korakuen Garden

Yoyogi Park, Harajuku

Other Popular Places

I’ve picked up three more places.

Meguro River is a newbie. Zojoji Temple is just next to Tokyo Tower and some good hotels. You can enjoy cherry blossoms in the beautiful hotel garden at Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa.

Guides, Reviews & Facts of Meguro River Cherry Blossom Festival

Zojoji Temple & Tokyo Tower

Cherry Blossom Viewing at Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa

Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Forecast for Japan 2023 appeared first on Tokyo Direct Diary.