Kyushu Cherry Blossom Dates

Expected Peak: Late March – Early April 2027

While official 2027 dates from the Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC) won’t be released until January 2027, historical data suggests a peak in late March. In 2026, Fukuoka and Kagoshima reached full bloom between April 3 and April 5.

Check back in January 2027 for live updates and the first official sakura forecast for the new season.

Following our successful 2026 season, we are now preparing for our 2027 Kyushu Cherry Blossom Tour, which will run from March 26 – April 1, 2027. This remains our most sought-after itinerary, beginning and ending in the vibrant hub of Fukuoka City.

We have meticulously selected these dates based on a detailed analysis of historical blooming data spanning over 100 years, alongside deep local insights from our guides across the island. This ensures our guests have the best possible opportunity to experience Kyushu’s “sakura” at its peak.

To maintain an intimate and high-quality experience, our group size is strictly limited to 12 guests. If you would like to receive the finalized 2027 itinerary and be notified when we begin accepting reservations, please get in touch to register your interest.

If you want super-detailed information you can find blooming predictions for dozens of individual spots around Kyushu . Honestly speaking, you might just drive yourself crazy with detail. Perhaps it’s better just to hope, pray and be lucky.

Check the video below! All photos taken by us as we travelled around Kyushu hunting for the very best cherry blossom spots.

The cherry trees in South Kyushu bloom later than those in North Kyushu. On average the blooming dates for Kagoshima (on the southern tip of Kyushu) are three days later than Fukuoka in the north. Our Cherry Blossom tour focuses on North Kyushu so you’ll get the chance to experience the stunning scenery of Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto, Nagasaki and Saga prefectures. It’s a great chance to experience the different regions and local cuisines of Kyushu.

Cherry blossom predictions include date of ‘first bloom’ (開花) and date of ‘full bloom’ (満開). The date of first bloom is the first day on which 5 or 6 buds open on official observation trees. The date of full bloom is the first day on which 80% or more buds open on official observation trees. You may be wondering what are ‘official observation trees’? These are trees from 1,000 designated locations around Japan. They are used every year and so allow easy comparison from one year to the next.

These are the full bloom dates over the last 7 years for Fukuoka:

Predicting blooming dates is very difficult. The earlier the prediction is released, the more incorrect it is likely to be. We usually get the first predictions in January. On average these early predictions miss the actual blooming dates by four days. Even predictions just two weeks before are wrong by an average of two days.

The predictions are based on the temperatures in autumn the previous year, winter temperatures and cherry tree growth in spring. This information is compared to the many years previous data to produce the forecasts. It’s an art, not a science, which is why the forecast aren’t completely accurate. Sudden last-minute temperature changes also have an effect. Finally, don’t forget that strong wind and heavy rain can destroy the petals in an instant.

In years gone by the Japan Meteorological Office issued official predictions. However they stopped doing this in 2009. The predictions these days are made by commercial companies. Two of the most well-known are Japan Meteorological Corporation and Sakura Weathermap . Unfortunately the predictions by each company differ by some days. You know why? Because in the end, cherry blossom prediction is an art and not a science.

There are no guarantees. We all rely on the mood of Mother Nature. Some years are average, some years early and some are late. The earliest first bloom in Kyushu was 13 March in 2009 ( Update: that record was beaten in 2021 with blooming on 12 March). The latest record of first bloom Kyushu was 06 April in 1962. You see? Blooming dates can be weeks apart depending on the whims of nature.

Come as long as possible! Of course we all wish we could but most of us have time and money limits. However if you can stay for two weeks you will almost certainly see the sakura bloom.

Plan your itinerary to include places with different species of cherry tree.

Visit north and south Kyushu. The wider geographical area, the higher your chances to see the cherry blossoms bloom.

Visit the last week of March and the first few days of April. On an average years this will be the most likely dates to see the cherry trees in full bloom.

Be Lucky! No matter how well you plan, you’ll still need some luck.

Bonus Tip: visit with hope but not expectation. Kyushu is still an amazing place with cherry blossoms or without. After all said and done, if you see them you see them. If you don’t, you don’t. Don’t let these small pink flowers become an obsession. If your timing isn’t right don’t let it ruin your trip.

Don’t wait to see the latest predictions. Hotels and flights book up quickly in spring. The longer you leave it the more expensive things become. Every year we have clients contact us last minute. Most can’t come because flights become extraordinarily expensive.

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There are around 10 predictions released from January through to April. We’ll release each update on our Facebook page. These updates are based on actual measurements of local conditions. Any predictions released prior to January 2025 are forecasts based on historical blooming data. Our predictions for Kyushu cherry blossom are based on first bloom and full bloom dates of more than 100 years data!

Email to letsgo@kyushujourneys.com or complete our contact form . Tell us how many people plan to travel and we’ll reply with all the details you need. If you’re super-excited to get started just click the WhatsApp icon below and message or call right now!

Ask your question in the comment section below. We’ll be happy to help.