Study Abroad in Japan

With KCP International, you can earn more Japanese credit than you would in an entire year at your university. Plus, you can pick your start date!

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cherry blossoms

Hanami is Here!

In Japan, with the arrival of spring comes the much anticipated cherry blossom (sakura) season. All around the country, cherry trees showcase a profusion of flowers in a dazzling array of pinks.

It takes around a week to ten days for full bloom and starts depending on the region. In Tokyo, it started on March 14 but in other parts of the country, such as Sapporo and Kushiro, it’s yet to start in late April and early May. You can find more information about the 2021 sakura blooming forecast from the Japan Weather Association site.

Hanami, or flower viewing, is a celebratory event when people visit parks and gardens to have a picnic or gathering beneath the breathtaking sakura trees in full bloom. Shinjuku Gyoen, which is just a few minutes’ walk from KCP, has over a thousand cherry trees of different varieties. It’s one of the best places in Japan to hang out and relax under the gorgeous blooms.

hanami at Shinjuky Gyoen park

cherry blossoms up close cherry blossom viewing at Shinjuku Gyoen sakura trees by a lake at Shinjuku Gyoen

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Read all about Japanese immersion learning and studying abroad. Check out our eZasshi archives for more articles!