Kyoto: Still Closed

After checking on the Tokyo blossoms a couple days ago, I made an early visit to Kyoto today to check on the process of the season there, taking a good look at the buds at a few of the city's popular hanami spots.

I found the state of Kyoto's cherry blossoms to be quite similar to those in Tokyo and expect the flowering season in the two cities to take place around the same time.

The buds on most trees were still at least a week from opening. Therefore, I expect the peak of the season in Kyoto to take place in early April this year.

I found Nakanoshima Park next to Katsura River in Arashiyama deserted of blossoms and tourists on this spring equinox morning around 7am. Known not to be among the first trees to open in the city, the cherry trees near the Togetsukyo Bridge carried mainly brown-greenish buds, indicating that the peak of the season is unlikely going to start before the end of March.

Maruyama Park was also still deserted this morning. The trees were at a similarly early state, and even the central weeping cherry tree, which opens a few days earlier than the more numerous Somei Yoshino trees, have not started opening yet, although it was on the verge of it. Like elsewhere, I expect the peak of the season to take place here in early April.

The situation was similar at Okazaki Canal outside of Heian Shrine, where most trees looked like they needed several more days of warmth before they start opening. I also visited the paid garden behind Heian Shrine's main hall, which is famous for its many weeping cherry trees, most of which are of a slightly later-blooming variety. Today the garden was mostly barren, but it will be a good destination towards the end of the main flowering season.

My final stop was the spacious Kyoto Imperial Park. The number of cherry trees in the park is not great, but there is a nice collection of slightly earlier-blooming weeping cherries in its northwestern corner, which I wanted to check out today. On my way there I also came across the park's plum and peach tree groves, which were at the peak of their flowering season.

The weeping cherry trees in the northwestern corner of Kyoto Imperial Park have started opening a considerable number of blossoms already and are a recommended spot for those already looking for some cherry blossoms in the city. They will reach full bloom in a few days down the road, and will afterwards be joined by several later-blooming weeping cherries, prolonging the viewing season in that corner of the park.