9 spectacular cherry blossom illuminations in Tokyo in 2023

If you’re looking for the most OTT illumination in Tokyo, this is it. Yomiuri Land's annual winter light show, which runs until April 9, will dazzle even the most ardent illumination fiend. Literally millions of colourful LEDs are set up throughout the vast theme park, evoking sparkling gems. 

From March 18 to April 9, the park will be celebrating spring with sakura trees lined up along the 180-metre promenade lit up in pastel pink colours. There are around 1,000 cherry blossom trees in the park, and you can spot some of them while you’re riding the Bandit roller coaster and Sky Shuttle gondola, too.

You need to purchase a one-day pass (¥5,800, adv ¥5,400) or an afternoon pass (¥3,100, adv ¥2,800) to see the Yozakura Jewellumination. It runs from 4pm to 8.30pm daily (until 8pm from April 1 to 9).

Amusement park Sagamiko Pleasure Forest in Kanagawa prefecture is known for its extravagant illuminations, boasting six million LED lights that span across the entire park. 

Come spring, the park hosts one of the Kanto area’s largest sakura festivals, with 2,500 cherry blossom trees in bloom. From March 18 to April 16, you’ll get to see the park adorned with fluorescent pink, gold and blue lights that illuminate the cherry blossom trees and make for a magical evening. 

You need to pay the park’s entrance fee (¥800 for adults, ¥500 for children) to see the illumination, which runs from 5pm to 9.30pm daily.

Sankeien in Yokohama is a traditional Japanese garden that houses an impressive three-storey pagoda from Kyoto, a mansion that once belonged to a daimyo lord. During the spring, 250 cherry blossom trees start to bloom here, and visitors from March 25 to April 4 can catch a special light-up event in the evening from 6.30pm to 9pm (last entry 8.30pm).

The garden will be open until 9pm, but some paths, including the one that leads to the three-story pagoda, will be closed after 5pm. To see the sakura light-up, you need to pay the entrance fee of ¥700 (children ¥200).

This green oasis along the Benkei Moat in the centre of Tokyo has some wonderfully-placed cherry blossom trees. Visit in the evening until April 16 to enjoy the pastel pink blossoms all lit up, with the colour reflecting beautifully off the water below. And if you’re lucky, you’ll even get to see the trees illuminated in rainbow colours for four minutes at 7pm, 8pm and 9pm every Friday. Tokyo Garden Terrace is open to the public and entirely free to visit, so you can take a casual stroll around the trees.

The annual cherry blossom light-up at Roppongi Hills illuminates the sakura trees in the Mori Garden and along the 400 metre-long Sakura-zaka slope, providing the perfect opportunity for after-dark flower viewing. You can see four kinds of cherry blossoms here – somei-yoshino, maihime, yoko and yamazakura. The trees will be lit up  from 5.30pm to 11pm (10.30pm for Sakura-zaka) from the end of March until the middle of April, but the exact dates may change depending on the blooming season.

Digital art collective Naked Inc is giving Shinjuku’s green oasis a makeover this spring. Shinjuku Gyoen has around 900 cherry blossom trees of 70 different varieties, and they will be lit up with pretty pink lights and projection mapping from March 31 to April 23. 

One of the highlights is Ryotaro Muramatsu’s Dandelion Project, which is getting a springtime makeover to become the Sakura Dandelion. This projection mapping display will show digital sakura bloom amid the real cherry blossoms. You can admire the illuminations while sitting on the grass and snacking on vegan treats from the Tree by Naked food truck. Alcohol is not allowed in Shinjuku Gyoen, but you can sip on sakura-themed mocktails for the occasion. 

Tickets for Monday to Thursday are ¥1,800 (advanced ¥1,600), and Friday to Sunday and holidays are ¥2,200 (advanced ¥1,800). If you purchase tickets in advance, you can also get a pink sakura-shaped picnic sheet for an additional ¥600. Advanced tickets go on sale on the website from Tuesday March 7 at 10am JST.

This cherry blossom festival from March 24 to April 4 takes place down the 700m-long Chidorigafuchi Ryokudo promenade near the Imperial Palace, which has around 250 sakura trees. During the day, you can take a stroll along the Chidorigafuchi moat or even rent a rowboat to see the cherry blossoms from the water. By night, you can enjoy the pink sakura trees lit up in LED lights. If you get tired from walking around, hop on the Sakura Matsuri-go, a free shuttle bus that takes you through the best cherry blossom viewing spots in the area.

You’ll also find a special sakura information booth at the Chiyoda Tourist Information Center, from where you can get information on cherry blossom-viewing spots and also shop for exclusive sakura goods.

In the morning hours of spring and autumn, Japan’s mountainous regions are renowned for their beautiful cloud formations known as unkai. Now, you can experience the scenic views at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, where the garden features its own misty sea of clouds against a backdrop of beautiful sakura until April 9. While the garden is free to enter, it's only open to visitors who shop, dine or stay at the hotel.

This spring, the garden and its 100 cherry blossom trees will also be illuminated with brilliant lights during the evening. You can visit the garden day or night and see the flowers for free. But for an extra indulgence, the hotel is offering numerous food and drink plans overlooking the sea of clouds including a Spring Hanami Lunch and Dinner Buffet (lunch ¥6,800, dinner ¥10,000), and Sakura Evening High Tea (¥12,000).