It is the time of the year for all the cherry blossom lovers!
Every year, people get super excited about cherry blossom blooming around Japan.
Cherry blossom blooming period varies depending on the region and year, but the flowers start blooming first in Kyushu (south area) and gradually moving northward. In Honshu (Mainland), they start blooming around late March.
Are you ready for this year? 
We are giving you a few of the best spots for Sakura (Cherry Blossom)viewing in Japan.
ET’s Pick
1)Motomachi Park
This park is located next to the Foreigners’ Cemetery. This location is a classic date spot in the Yamate-Motomachi area
About 80 Somei Yoshino cherry blossom trees bloom beautifully in spring. Near the Ehrismann Residence within the park, you can enjoy the elegant sight of cherry blossoms
**Somei Yoshino: It is also known as Yoshino Cherry. The most common variety of cherry blossom in Japan.
2)Mitsuike Park
This is also is a well-known cherry blossom viewing spot featuring around 1,600 cherry blossom trees of various species. This is my personal favorite since it has a lot of open spaces where you can take a walk, do a picnic, and of course Hanami (cherry blossom viewing!!) There are also a bunch of restaurants around the park.
3)Meguro River
This is one of the most popular hanami spots around Tokyo area.
There are approximately 800 cherry blossom trees alongside the river. During the season, the river is illuminated with lots of pink lanterns for amazing night time viewing . There are also bunch of food vendors and performances for this cherry blossom event 
4)Nogeyama Park
Located on a hill overlooking the Minato Mirai 21 district.
This park offers us about 300 cherry trees, mainly Somei Yoshino.
In addition to the park, cherry blossoms can also be found inside the Nogeyama Zoo(Free admission!!!) So if you have small kids just like me, it’s a great location where you all can enjoy and taste a little bit of spring as a family 
Since you can enjoy hanami while watching animals like penguins and red pandas. It’s a perfect place for a picnic with children too.
5)Minato Mirai District
If you are big on events……..
During the Minato Mirai Sakura Festa, there are parades and gourmet street events, and the Sakura Street becomes into a pedestrian-only zone where you can stroll around to enjoy the event
◆How to enjoy Hanami
**Secure a spot first!!!!
Plan ahead and bring your own blue tarp to secure a spot. It is first come, first serve so if you want to enjoy the great view, mark your spot with a tarp or a picnic blanket. Just make sure not to take more space than you actually need.
There are many ways to enjoy hanami like doing a picnic, drinking with your friends, playing board games, and also enjoying the night time cherry blossom which is gorgeous.
-Pack your own bento box 
to share with your friends
Its not mandatory, but having your own unique bento box to share is a way to enjoy fun time with those who you love. BBQ is also an another way to enjoy the time together especially for a large group of people!
-Take some “instagrammable” pictures & movies.
Those pictures with beautiful cherry blossom trees are a MUST! Find your own photogenic spot and take pictures and movies to share on SNS.
-Bring a portable speaker and play a catchy music.
Normally people bring their own food, snacks and drinks just to enjoy the fun time looking up those gorgeous trees. Let’s bring more fun moments playing your favorite songs.
-Bring your fur babies with you to make more memories!
People sometimes bring their fur babies with them for Hanami to enjoy time together. If you visit a park, please make sure to check their policy since sometimes pets are not allowed to be inside of a park depending on the location. And also, make sure to clean after when you take your pet around the park.