Spring Sakura in Niseko

As one of Japan's national flowers, the japanese cherry blossom is hugely popular for its delicate beauty. Poetically significant and immediately recognisable, sakura can be found throughout Japanese pop-culture, history and even music; and is viewed by many as metaphor for impermanence and the "fleeting nature of life".

For the majority of its lifespan, the Japanese cherry tree will look like any other deciduous tree, but once a year its quietly beautiful flowers bloom all at once ("saku" - 咲く) in an amazing display of colour.

For years, the Japanese tradition of 'Hanami' has been observed; with families, friends, and loved-ones alike visiting blooming japanese cherry and ume trees for picnics and celebrations; and is a national passion so widely loved in Japan, that when the sakura season is approaching, news and weather channels give forecasts months in advance, regularly update on blooming schedules and reports across the country.

Hokkaido, having the coolest weather in Japan, is usually the last place for sakura to bloom every year. The wave of colour will wash from South to North, eventually reaching Japan's northernmost prefecture. In Hokkaido this year, Sakura has been predicted to begin to bloom around May 2nd. The bloom itself lasts a relatively short period of time; less than a few weeks, with as little as a few days in its peak; before petals begin to fall.

Repeatedly voted the greatest sakura viewing point in Hokkaido, the star shaped Goryokaku park and surrounding moat are lined by over 1500 individual sakura trees, with visitors flocking from all over Hokkaido to visit.

Located in Hakodate, Goryokaku is accessible by train or by car, but is more suited to a day or multi-day trip due to the distance. (Roughly 3 hours by car, or 4 hours by train - perfect if your trip includes visiting southern Hokkaido.)

Many streets in the Hirafu Niseko area are lined with beautiful blooming cherry trees, as well as a number of popular local spots to view lovingly cultivated shibazakura.

If you would like to find out more about spring in Niseko or the best sakura viewing locations in town, please don't hesitate to contact a member of our concierge team.