Lolo12

Rats - I think I might miss sakura everywhere I go!!1 I will be in Tokyo 4/16-4/21, Hakone 4/21-23, Kanazawa 4/23-26, Kyoto 4/26-5/1, Hiroshima 5/1-4.
I seem to be a dollar too short and a day too late!!! Maybe I'll see some leftover blossoms...

mrwunrfl

Lolo12, you may be ok for Hakone. Matsumoto is not far from Tokyo and the peak bloom there corresponds to your time in Tokyo. Other areas in the mountains or further north, like Nagano, would be accessible from Tokyo.

I would like to know the predicted peak time in Kakunodate (Akita-ken) if anyone sees that listed somewhere.

emd

I'll be in Hakone on 4/15-16. Maybe I can catch it there too then if I am lucky.

This chasing of the sakura reminds me of that Scottish song by Donovan Leitch, a folk song from when I was a wistful young teen girl, "Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind..."

Mealea

Since Kakunodate is in northern Japan the cherry blossoms bloom much later. The peak is around Golden Week, late April/early May. I went to Kakunodate a few years ago during GW and saw beautiful cherry blossoms there.

emd

Mealea, any update you can give us on what is happening with cherry blossoms in Tokyo? It's been about 50 degrees for awhile there...

hawaiiantraveler

emd:

Just back from Tokyo and Kyoto. Saw your Okura hotel. Great location and property.
The Granvia is FANTASTIC. Lots of shopping and eating (over 100 restaurants in the hotel and connected properties).
The cherry blossoms were just starting in Nara and south of Kyoto the last two days we were there 3/18 and 19. Got lots of pics. I saw the same report that Mara lists and this one seems to be the one most in Japan are looking at as accurate as they have revised the way they are compiling the info as they have bought some new computer software to figure it out and are basing the outcome with data compiled over the last 30 years and not 50 as previously done(or something of the sort) . It's been a real cold winter which makes the buds develop earlier ( or something like that).
Lots to report in my trip report but I am at work now (the one that pays the bills) and am looking at a box full of stuff for me to do after one month off.
Will post a report as soon as I can.
Tokyo and Kyoto were pretty cool these past 10 days with temps averageing 6 at nights with 10 thru 15 most days.

Aloha!

mrwunrfl

Update as of March 15:
http://gojapan.about.com/library/spe...ayosou2006.htm

moxie

Pheww it still looks good for us in Takayama

mrwunrfl

moxie, about that, please send me an e-mail at yahoo.com

Mealea

March 23. The latest from Tokyo...

All the cherry blossom trees just outside my window now have small pink buds. It was warm today. Just this morning, I saw two or three full blossoms. They were the very first. My guess is that the peak will now be in 3-5 days if the weather stays warm. Could be up to a week if the weather turns cool again.

emd

mealea, please take pictures to show me when we meet up, as I think we will miss the show.

I hope other fodorites get to see it!

hawaii, please give me a boost w/some info on your trip. I am in Santa Monica working my behind off and will only be home for one week before we leave April 7. I am having a hard time getting ready and I am angsting because I have had no time to put together my trip notebooks (as some of you know, I had this done a month before I left on my trip last March). I brought all the materials to CA with me, but I just can't get it up to put the stuff together. I need first-hand motivation. Help.

Mara

emd
Your answer on the rain in Kanazawa post made me think you had already left! I didn't think you had so I guess you were talking abut last year! I am not that prepared either and I am leaving Wednesday. I have some last minute sick cat hassles to deal with but I feel I can get it together to go and have a great trip. So will you and DD!!

janev

the importance of good forecasting - a nice article here....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060323/...blossom_battle

emd

We leave April 7...I was talking about last year on the rain posting. I have been watchiong the weather and it sounds cooler than it should typically be. We are taking the silk long john bottoms and fleece lined jackets like last year.
HAVE A GREAT TRIP, MARA!!
Eileen

mrwunrfl

I'd love to go back to Kakunodate to see the trees by the river, but even an early opening will be too late for me this year.

I am guessing that the newspapers will have daily updates, but which ones are best? Does the (English language) Japan Times have good, detailed, coverage?

kappa

http://www.asahi.com/national/update...603300001.html

Above is an article dated 30 March with a photo of sakura blossoms coverned with snow taken in Tokai area (including Gifu-city, Nagoya, Shizuoka). It says in Gifu-city it snowed 3 centimeters, a little more than 1 inch, the first time in 80 years, the first time it snowed that much in that city. The lowest tempreture is around 0 - 1 celsius, about the average tempreture of mid February. Sounds like they are having rather cool days at the beggining of spring time.

kappa

Sorry, did not edit above. Still I hope you get what I meant to say.

kappa

When I was in Japan, a poster of a shidare-zakura tree in Kakunodate was everywhere in and JR stations. Looked like JR was promoting Kakunodate as a spring destination.

emd

There is an update on sakura blooms in all areas of Kyoto (including areas north of Kyoto) that was just upated yesterday:

http://raku.city.kyoto.jp/data/cssys...ura2006_e.html

Theresa

Just returned from a week in Japan - spent time in Nara, Osaka, Kyoto and Himeji.

The cherry blossoms were present in all locations but were just starting. Some trees were in full bloom but most were just days away from opening.