First Sakura Forecast
 

The first forecast is in and it looks like I'll miss it in Tokyo :(

http://digbig.com/4rsxm

Now we have to chase :)

Aloha!

I hope you won't be too early for the cbs on the river in Kakunodate!?

mrw,

thanks bill, we have one day free on our 4 day flex jr east pass and 4/10 and 4/11 free to go where they are soooo hopefully we'll find our hanami somewhere.

Kakunodate would be perfect but as you note we would probably be there too early.......but you never know.

Aloha!

if this schedule holds true laurieco would hit it perfectly in Kyoto

But of course it is only a forecast and not a schedule, so it may work out for you in Tokyo. From what I've read there are a couple of varieties, so the bloom time may vary at different places in the same locality. OTOH, the closer to the forecast date the better the forecasting since they can see the changes leading up to the bloom. But if it is just a couple days late to bloom and then the blossoms stay for a week then you might see some in Tokyo.

But you might have a good shot if you went up to Hakone.

When I want to Takayama last April the forecast was for peak bloom to be at or near the festival weekend ~14th. But they were still several days to a week away from blooming. On the train ride down the valley to Nagoya I saw the trees in various states of bloom. Not far from Takayama, but lower in elevation, the trees were blooming and I saw a group of ladies enjoying them. Farther down (literally) at Gero the trees were blooming. Farther down they were falling. By the end of the valley the trees were mostly bare of cbs.

So you might not have to go north or south or E or W. Just go up.