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On Thursday March 19, Tokyo officially announced the beginning of its 2026 cherry blossom season. But what about Osaka, Kyoto and the wider Kansai region – have sakura started blooming yet?
The short answer is: officially not yet.
According to the latest 2026 cherry blossom forecast released by the Japan Meteorological Corporation on March 19, the sakura in Osaka are expected to bloom around Tuesday March 24. Kyoto is expected to start flowering a day earlier, around Monday March 23.
For the best views, however, you’ll need to wait about a week for the mankai (full bloom). This is currently predicted to happen on Tuesday March 31 for both cities.
This forecast is corroborated by the 2026 cherry blossom data on the Japan Meteorological Agency’s website. At the time of writing, no bloom has been officially reported in the Kansai region yet.
Official 2026 Japan cherry blossom forecast
To help you plan your sakura outing this spring, here are the latest forecast dates you need.
- Osaka: blooming on March 24, full bloom on March 31
- Kyoto: blooming on March 23, full bloom on March 31
- Nara: blooming on March 24, full bloom on March 31
- Wakayama: blooming on March 26, full bloom on April 2
- Kobe: blooming on March 27, full bloom on April 3
- Hikone: blooming on March 30, full bloom on April 5
Mark your calendars: top sakura events and illuminations in Kansai
There’s no time to waste. Osaka and Kyoto have both confirmed their 2026 cherry blossom events, festivals and nighttime illuminations, so you should start planning now. Here’s your ultimate guide to the highly anticipated 2026 sakura season in the Kansai region.
- 6 best places to see cherry blossoms in Osaka in 2026
- 5 best cherry blossom events and illuminations in Osaka in 2026
- 5 best cherry blossom events and illuminations in Kyoto in 2026
- 7 best cherry blossom day trips from Osaka in 2026
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