Not sure where to look? Want to find a place to do hanami like the locals but not sure where is the best spot? I have you covered!

This guide covers train-accessible sakura spots in Osaka, Nara, Kyoto and Hyogo. And some tips and tricks on how to make the best of it! 

Your Kansai Area 🌸 Sakura/Cherry Blossom Viewing Guide

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Before I point out the spots for sakura viewing, I just want to point out that the Keihan Railway (a train that runs between Osaka and Kyoto and Shiga) has a rather accurate and easy to read map along their train routes of when Ume (plum trees) and Sakura are at its peak. 

They usually post these maps at all their main and high traffic Keihan stations, but you can also view them on their specially curated page on places to visit for sakura:

This is a great starting point for you to get a feel of where MOST of the Kyoto sakura blossoms are, and some in Shiga and Osaka. I will be covering a lot of these places too with a few tips of my own from experience.

Cherry Blossoms | Keihan Electric Railway

Most of the sakura viewing spots are in Kyoto, as places for viewing are much more easily accessible than say, in Nara or in Hyogo. And having a more culturally themed backdrop with a city such as Kyoto is always more attractive to tourists and locals alike.

And this is the sakura map that will be updated once March & April hits:

Japanese Sakura Blossom Special 2022: Kyoto, Osaka, Shiga  Blossom Report (railway line map view) / Keihan Electric Railway Co.,Ltd.

Sakura-viewing is a VERY HEAVILY weather-depend event. If you've ever experienced viewing sakura in your home country, you'll know the flowers are very fragile. A simple rainstorm can change what you get to see. And as I am not mother nature, I am not responsible for how successful you will be to be able to see sakura. This is simply a guide to help you determine which places you can and might want to visit.

My absolute favourite spot to see sakura here is the Philosopher's Path. This is a walking path along a canal that is lined with sakura trees.

Due to its historical significance and its proximity to a lot of the eastern Kyoto attractions, this spot is a VERY popular sakura spot. So if you don't particularly love crowds, you might not want to come here. However, there are spots along this canal where the crowds do thin out significantly.

Generally, the walking path I choose starts along this point:

You can take a bus from Demachiyanagi Station or Sanjo Station to get to the starting point (the stop is for Ginkakuji). 

This end point will get you very close to Eikando, which is a VERY famous temple during the autumn for its autumn colors. If you want to start from the ending point I indicated, it will land you just a stone throw's away from Ginkaku (Silver Pavilion). 

Now if you've just gone out of the Philosopher's Path following exactly my directions and down towards Eikando and onwards, you will eventually hit the Kaege Canal. The aquaducts near Nanzenji is another hot spot in the autumn, but for our purposes, we want to keep going back towards Keage subway station.

There is an unused incline where ships used to get carried through to the canal which is now simply a row of sakura trees. 

Keep heading southwest from the Keage Incline and you will reach Maruyama Park, where the famous huge Weeping Cherry Blossom tree is located. 

The sakura tree population dies down as you continue south towards Kiyomizudera, but if this is your first time in Kyoto, this is a great way to continue your trip. The famous Ninensaka will lead you straight to the temple!

In the Pre-COVID age, there would be food stalls and many people doing hanami around those food stalls. As of 2022, they have only restored a few of the stalls along the main foot path.

Don't forget to stray off the main foot path a little around the park. There are some of stone benches and you may catch a few feline residents in these nooks:

The entrance towards Keian Jingu, which is a huge red torii gate is also lined with sakura nearby. Here are the photos I have of this area from 2020:

The walk will take about an hour depending on how fast or slow you walk. And you will know when it ends as there will be no more pathway along to follow:

(from 2020, as you can see this is already past peak with the green leaves - it's not easy to time visit!)

And I do recommend walking the strip if you can physically - because it is possible that there are other points in the path that have sakura peaking while certain points may be past peak or not yet peaked.

If you are heading to Kinkakuji on the west side, this can be a nice little stop for you to see some sakura. You can also stop by Kitanotenmangu as well too.

Just a train hop away from JR Kyoto is Yamashina Station, and another canal that bends north with a good number of sakura trees. As Yamashina isn't exactly a tourist destination, you are likely to find more a local crowd. And it's close to the JR station!

This spot is a bit of a hidden gem for tourists, but very popular amongst photographers and locals, as there is nothing obstructing the view of the sakura trees except other people and the nature around it. During peak, the row of sakura is actually quite spectacular - and I highly recommend making this trip out here if you can!

A great spot to do hanami as well with the vast amounts of open spaces available.