Japan's cherry blossoms bloom from west to east in what's come to be known as the Cherry Blossom Front. Cherry blossom season starts from around mid-March to the end of April. Areas in higher elevations and toward the north see later blooms. Be sure to check out our Cherry Blossom Forecast for this year's latest bloom times.

Cherry blossom hotspots can be found in over 1,000 locations across Japan, so choosing just one best place is tough.

To help you whittle down your selection, we've made a list around Japan's most popular areas around major cities. From west to northeast, these include Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, Fukushima, Aomori, and Sapporo.

Each of these recommended places to stay has a rating of 8+ on Booking.com.

Osaka has a delightful mix of cherry blossom viewing locations that offer a representative slice of midwestern Japan with historical sites, modern neighborhoods, and mountainous surroundings.

One of the prettiest places for seeing cherry blossoms is Kyoto! Many of the famous blossom spots have weeping cherry trees and double-flowered cherry trees, making for breathtaking photos. Tourists are treated to the city's unique, luxurious annual blossom viewing when the trees reach full bloom in early April.

Every spring, Tokyo is packed with visitors during the cherry blossom season. Between the end of March and the beginning of April, Tokyo's cherry trees are in bloom, transforming Tokyo into a pink-petaled wonderland.

While you can enjoy Tokyo's cherry blossoms in a number of different parks and neighborhoods, some of the most famous areas can be found on Tokyo's east side in Taito City; the west side, in Meguro City; and around the Imperial Palace near Tokyo Station in Chiyoda City.

Japan's northeastern region, known as Tohoku, is comprised of six prefectures: Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, and Fukushima. Although each prefecture has incredible sights in spring (such as Kakunodate Samurai Residences in Kakunodate, Akita, and Hirosaki Castle Park in Aomori), Fukushima Prefecture is home to Miharu Takizakura, one of the Five Great Sakura Trees of Japan, and a host of other pretty blossom spots worth checking out.

Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on the main island of Japan, and the cherry blossoms bloom in mid-late April.

You may have heard of Hirosaki Park’s cherry blossom festival before, which is considered one of the best places for cherry blossoms in Aomori and among Japan's Top 100 famous blossom spots. If you are planning a visit to Aomori in spring, be sure to add this area to your list.

Akita Prefecture is situated among the mountains of northern Honshu in the Tohoku region. Given its location, cherry blossom season comes somewhat later, from mid to late April.

Akita has a scattering of famous cherry blossom places. One of the most highly recommended areas is the samurai avenue in Kakunodate, called Bukeyashiki-dori. The Kakunodate-cho Sakura Festival (held from late April to early May), is worth checking out, with the classic samurai residences and pink cherry blossoms combine to create a beautiful Japanese atmosphere.

As mentioned previously, Japanese cherry blossoms bloom from south to north, so the country's northern island of Hokkaido sees blooms just as the main island is approaching early summer.

Enduring the long and harsh winter, Hokkaido sakura creates a simple scenery of spring emanating a rustic beauty. While there are many beautiful places for seeing cherry blossoms in Hokkaido, the cities of Sapporo and Hakodate have a number of beautiful places to enjoy them, making them great bases for your visit.