Japan cherry blossom — when to book flights, hotels, ryokans for sakura season
Cherry blossom needs 4-6 months of lead time. Tokyo flights at 4 months out, Kyoto ryokans 6 months. Wait until 2 months out, expect 2.5x prices.
Japan's cherry blossom peaks late March-early April. Booking late costs 2-3x.
6 months out (Oct for next April): eVisa (free, 3-5 days). Book Kyoto ryokans. Top spots (Tawaraya, Hiiragiya, Hoshinoya, Gion Hatanaka) gone by November.
4 months out (Dec): International flights. Delhi/Mumbai-Tokyo direct ₹52-60k. Buy 7-day JR Pass ₹28k online.
3 months out (Jan): Tokyo hotels. Mid-range business hotels ₹6-9k/night. Capsule hotels ₹2.5-4k.
2 months out (Feb): Mount Fuji day trips, Hakone Free Pass ₹3k. teamLab tickets — sell out 4 weeks ahead.
Where to see it without crowds: Skip Ueno Park + Chidorigafuchi. Try Showa Kinen Park (Tokyo outskirts) or Yodogawa River (Osaka).