Quick answer: As of 1 November 2026 there is no official cherry blossom forecast 2027 for Japan or Korea. The Japan Meteorological Agency stopped forecasting blossoms in 2010, and private forecasters publish the first sakura 2027 forecasts, which on the 2026 timetable means mid-December 2026 to late January 2027. Until then, plan on the JMA 1991-2020 averages: first bloom in Tokyo on 24 March (full bloom 31 March), Kyoto 26 March (4 April), Osaka 27 March (4 April), Fukuoka 22 March (31 March) and Sapporo 1 May (6 May). Seoul averages 8 April. These are average dates, not a 2027 forecast, and recent springs have mostly come early.
Is There a Cherry Blossom Forecast for 2027 Yet?
No. Not from the weather companies, not from the government agencies, and not from us. The first serious forecasts for spring 2027 should start appearing in December, and each one will be revised many times before the trees open. If a client has seen "sakura 2027 dates" on a website this autumn, it was an average dressed up as a prediction.
Japan: who publishes what
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) forecast cherry blossoms every spring from 1955. On 25 December 2009 it announced it would stop from spring 2010, because private weather companies were already providing equivalent nationwide forecasts (JMA press release). People still search for a "Japan Meteorological Agency cherry blossom forecast 2027". It won't exist.
What the JMA still does is observe. Each local weather office watches a designated sample tree, mostly the Somei-yoshino variety, and declares first bloom when five or six flowers are open and full bloom when about 80% of the buds are open (JMA observation notes). Those observed dates, and the 1991-2020 averages built from them, are the official record. The forecasts come from three private companies:
- Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC), which forecasts about 1,000 Somei-yoshino spots.
- Weathernews, which combines weather data with blossom reports sent in by its users.
- Japan Weather Association (JWA), which publishes on tenki.jp and uses the same first-bloom and full-bloom definitions as the JMA.
Korea: forecasts moved to private companies in 2016
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) stopped producing spring flower forecasts from spring 2016 and handed the job to the private sector, naming Weather i and Kweather as the companies that would publish them (KMA, 11 February 2016). The KMA still observes and announces the real flowering. The official Seoul tree is a king cherry at the Seoul Weather Observatory in Jongno, watched since 1922, and flowering is declared when three blossoms are fully open on one branch.
Sakura 2027 Planning Dates: Japan City Averages
Until the forecasts arrive, plan on averages. The table shows the JMA 1991-2020 average dates for first bloom and full bloom, then the first-bloom date actually observed in each of the last three springs, so you can see the spread. Read the two shaded columns as average dates, not a 2027 forecast.
| City | Average first bloom | Average full bloom | First bloom 2024 | First bloom 2025 | First bloom 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naha, Okinawa (hikanzakura) | 16 Jan | 4 Feb | 13 Jan | 5 Jan | 18 Jan |
| Fukuoka | 22 Mar | 31 Mar | 27 Mar | 25 Mar | 24 Mar |
| Hiroshima | 25 Mar | 3 Apr | 25 Mar | 26 Mar | 19 Mar |
| Osaka | 27 Mar | 4 Apr | 30 Mar | 27 Mar | 26 Mar |
| Kyoto | 26 Mar | 4 Apr | 29 Mar | 27 Mar | 23 Mar |
| Nara | 28 Mar | 4 Apr | 31 Mar | 28 Mar | 24 Mar |
| Nagoya | 24 Mar | 2 Apr | 28 Mar | 26 Mar | 17 Mar |
| Tokyo | 24 Mar | 31 Mar | 29 Mar | 24 Mar | 19 Mar |
| Yokohama | 25 Mar | 1 Apr | 1 Apr | 25 Mar | 22 Mar |
| Kanazawa | 3 Apr | 8 Apr | 1 Apr | 29 Mar | 29 Mar |
| Sendai | 8 Apr | 13 Apr | 2 Apr | 4 Apr | 31 Mar |
| Aomori | 22 Apr | 26 Apr | 15 Apr | 17 Apr | 13 Apr |
| Hakodate, Hokkaido | 28 Apr | 2 May | 18 Apr | 23 Apr | 18 Apr |
| Sapporo, Hokkaido | 1 May | 6 May | 18 Apr | 23 Apr | 18 Apr |
Source: JMA tables of first-bloom dates and full-bloom dates, 2021-2026, with 1991-2020 averages. Naha observes hikanzakura, an earlier variety, which is why its dates sit in January. Every other city in the table is Somei-yoshino.
How much the dates move from year to year
More than most clients expect. Over the six springs from 2021 to 2026:
- In Tokyo, first bloom fell between 14 March (2021 and 2023) and 29 March (2024). That's a 15-day spread for a single tree.
- Kyoto reached full bloom as early as 24 March (2023) and as late as 5 April (2024 and 2025).
- Tokyo and Kyoto both opened before their average date in four of the six years.
- Sapporo is the clearest case. Its average first bloom is 1 May, yet it opened between 15 and 23 April in all six years.
So treat the averages as a baseline, not a midpoint. Recent springs have leaned early, most of all in the north. But 2024 ran late in Tokyo, Nagoya and Kansai, and a late year can come back.
Best time to see cherry blossoms in Japan, month by month
The season is long if your client is willing to move. On the averages:
- January to early February: Okinawa, where hikanzakura opens around mid-January.
- February to early March: Kawazu on the Izu Peninsula. Kawazu-zakura is an early variety that starts opening in early February, and its full bloom lasts about a week to ten days, according to the Kawazu tourist association.
- Late March: Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Tokyo and Yokohama.
- Late March to early April: Kyoto, Osaka and Nara.
- Early to mid April: Kanazawa and Sendai.
- Mid to late April: Aomori, Hakodate and, in recent years, Sapporo.
- May: eastern and northern Hokkaido. The average first bloom is 16 May in Kushiro and 13 May in Wakkanai, both for ezoyamazakura, a wild cherry.
For the other seasons, see our best time to visit Japan guide.
Cherry Blossom 2027 Korea: Seoul, Busan and Jinhae
Korea runs about two weeks behind Tokyo on the averages, but the gap moves around. The KMA publishes averages and recent dates for two Seoul sites:
| Site | Average first bloom | Average full bloom | First bloom 2024 | First bloom 2025 | First bloom 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul Weather Observatory, Jongno (official tree) | 8 Apr | 10 Apr | 1 Apr | 4 Apr | 29 Mar |
| Yeouido Yunjung-ro, Seoul | 6 Apr | Not given | 31 Mar | 3 Apr | 29 Mar |
Source: KMA press release, 29 March 2026. Average dates, not a 2027 forecast.
Seoul opened before its 8 April average in every year from 2021 to 2026. In 2026 it was ten days early.
The south goes first. Jeju, Busan and Jinhae usually open in late March, though we couldn't verify a published KMA average for Busan or Jinhae, so they aren't in the table. As a guide to the usual order, the Weather i outlook of 26 February 2026 expected Seogwipo on Jeju to open on 25 March, the southern regions between 25 March and 2 April, and Seoul around 3 April (Weather i). Seoul actually opened on 29 March, five days ahead of that forecast.
For Jinhae, the date that drives demand is the Jinhae Gunhangje festival in Changwon. In 2026, its 64th year, it ran from 27 March to 5 April (Hankyung). The 2027 dates hadn't been announced when we checked on 1 November 2026.
Combining Japan and Korea in one trip
Tokyo then Seoul works on paper: the averages put Seoul 15 days after Tokyo. In practice the gap between the two official trees has been anything from 3 days (29 March and 1 April in 2024) to 15 days (2022) over 2021-2026. Sell it as two chances at blossom, not two guaranteed peaks. Our South Korea B2B travel portal and Korea seasons guide cover the rest of the Korea planning.
When the 2027 Cherry Blossom Forecasts Come Out
Nothing has been announced for 2027. This is the timetable for spring 2026, which is the best guide to when each company will publish again. The third column is our assumption, not their announcement.
| Forecaster | First forecast for spring 2026 | Expect for 2027 | Where to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan Meteorological Corporation | 18 December 2025. Its first December release, using a new AI long-range model; it used to start in January. | Mid-December 2026 | n-kishou.com |
| Weathernews | 8 January 2026, the first of eight rounds up to 25 March. | Early January 2027 | weathernews.jp |
| Japan Weather Association (tenki.jp) | 29 January 2026, 53 locations. Full-bloom forecasts every week from March. | Late January 2027 | tenki.jp |
| Japan Meteorological Agency | No forecast. Observed first-bloom and full-bloom status, updated three times a day from December to June. | Observed dates as they happen | data.jma.go.jp |
| Weather i (Korea) | 26 February 2026. | Late February 2027 | weatheri.co.kr |
| Korea Meteorological Administration | No forecast. Announces observed flowering. | Observed dates as they happen | weather.go.kr |
Sources: JMC release, 18 Dec 2025; Weathernews, 8 Jan 2026; JWA, 29 Jan 2026; JMA; Weather i, 26 Feb 2026.
How close did the first 2026 forecasts get?
Close, not exact. Here is the first forecast from each company for spring 2026 against the date the official tree actually opened:
| City | First forecast | Observed first bloom 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | JMC 19 Mar; Weathernews 21 Mar; JWA 21 Mar | 19 Mar |
| Nagoya | JMC 19 Mar; Weathernews 23 Mar; JWA 22 Mar | 17 Mar |
| Fukuoka | Weathernews 23 Mar; JWA 21 Mar | 24 Mar |
| Osaka | Weathernews 27 Mar | 26 Mar |
| Seoul | Weather i, around 3 Apr | 29 Mar |
Misses of up to six days were normal, and the Korean outlook was five days late for Seoul. The forecasts tighten every week through March. That's why the last three weeks before travel matter more than the first headline in December.
How to Sell a Blossom Trip When Nobody Knows the Week
This is the part agents get wrong: they sell the date. Sell the season instead, and build the trip so an early or a late year still puts blossom somewhere on it.
- Sell a 7 to 10 night window, not a date. Centre it on the average full bloom of the main city and you'll usually catch first bloom or full bloom somewhere on the trip. A four-night Kyoto stay pinned to one weekend is a gamble.
- Put an early-blooming city first and a later one last. Starting in Fukuoka or Hiroshima and finishing in Tokyo, or starting in Kyoto and finishing in Kanazawa or Sendai, gives the trip two shots. On the averages, Kanazawa reaches full bloom four days after Kyoto and Sendai nine days after.
- Keep a northern escape route. If the forecasts point early, a trip in early April can swap its last leg for Tohoku. Average full bloom in Aomori is 26 April, though it came between 11 and 22 April in 2021-2026.
- Have an answer for fixed dates. Clients locked into February can see Kawazu-zakura. Clients locked into late April can see Tohoku or Hokkaido. Offering that up front beats a refund conversation later.
- Write the risk into the quote. Something like: "Blossom viewing depends on the weather. Dates are planned on official averages and can't be guaranteed." It costs nothing and saves arguments.
- Leave unassigned time. Half a day or a full day without tours in Kyoto or Tokyo lets your client go to the best park on the best day.
Two example routings (sketches, not packages)
These are hypothetical, built on the averages above, to show the logic.
- Early window, arriving around 21 March: 2 nights Fukuoka, 1 night Hiroshima, 3 nights Kyoto, 3 nights Tokyo. On the averages it starts at first bloom in Fukuoka (22 March) and ends at full bloom in Tokyo (31 March). In an early year like 2026, Tokyo would already have been in full bloom (28 March) during the Tokyo nights.
- Later window, arriving around 1 April: 3 nights Kyoto, 2 nights Kanazawa, 3 nights Tokyo, 2 nights Sendai. On the averages Kyoto is at full bloom (4 April) and the Sendai trees open (8 April) just before the client gets there. In a year like 2026, Kyoto and Sendai would both have been past their best, and you'd have wanted Aomori for the last leg instead.
Flights aren't sold on DMC Quote, so the open-jaw ticket that makes routings like these work is yours to arrange. Our Japan sample itineraries show fuller day-by-day versions.
Hotel Pressure in Tokyo and Kyoto, Late March to Early April
Blossom weeks fall in some of the busiest months for inbound travel to Japan. The Japan National Tourism Organization counted 3,618,900 foreign visitors in March 2026 and 3,692,200 in April 2026, after 3,909,128 in April 2025 (JNTO, March; JNTO, April).
One date to note for 2027: Vernal Equinox Day falls on Sunday 21 March, so Monday 22 March is a substitute holiday (Cabinet Office). That makes 20 to 22 March a three-day weekend in Japan, right around the average first bloom in Tokyo and Fukuoka.
We can't give you a reliable market-wide figure for how far peak-week rates rise, so we won't invent one. In general, expect fewer refundable rates as the dates get closer, and minimum-stay rules at some properties over weekends.
The Kyoto accommodation tax went up in March 2026
Since 1 March 2026 Kyoto charges its lodging tax per guest per night in five bands, set by the room charge per person per night, excluding meals and consumption tax (City of Kyoto). It's paid at the property unless it was already included in what you paid, so tell clients before they arrive.
| Room charge per person per night | Tax per person per night |
|---|---|
| Under JPY 6,000 | JPY 200 |
| JPY 6,000 to 19,999 | JPY 400 |
| JPY 20,000 to 49,999 | JPY 1,000 |
| JPY 50,000 to 99,999 | JPY 4,000 |
| JPY 100,000 and over | JPY 10,000 |
On the portal, mandatory pay-at-hotel fees and remarks are shown before you pay. Read them on every Kyoto booking. For rooms across the country see Japan hotels at net rates, and if your clients plan to shop, the Japan tax-free changes for November 2026 are worth a read too.
Booking Window Timeline for Sakura 2027
What happens between now and the blossoms, and what we'd do at each point. Forecast dates are assumed from last season.
| When | What happens | What we'd do |
|---|---|---|
| November to mid-December 2026 | No forecasts. Averages only. | Quote 7 to 10 night windows on the averages. Book refundable rates and note each deadline. |
| Mid-December 2026 | First JMC forecast for 2027, if it keeps the 2026 timing. | Compare it with the averages. Don't move anything on one forecast. |
| January 2027 | Weathernews (early January) and JWA on tenki.jp (late January) publish their first forecasts. | If all three point the same way by four days or more, start adjusting the route. |
| February 2027 | Japanese forecasts update. The Weather i outlook for Korea is likely late in the month. Kawazu is in bloom. | Lock the main cities. Keep the last leg flexible. |
| Early to mid March 2027 | Weekly updates, with full-bloom forecasts on tenki.jp. | Last sensible point to change dates on refundable bookings. Check each deadline. |
| 20 to 22 March 2027 | Three-day weekend in Japan. | Expect weekend demand in the cities that bloom early. |
| Late March to mid April 2027 | JMA and KMA announce observed first bloom. Full bloom usually follows within about a week. | Move tours, not hotels. |
| 29 April to 5 May 2027 | Golden Week. | See below. |
Cancellation deadlines on DMC Quote
Blossom files get changed more than most, so know how the portal handles it before you book:
- The cancellation deadline you see is set earlier than the supplier's own deadline and is labelled in Singapore time (SGT). Work to the date you see, not the hotel's.
- You can hold a booking and pay later. Unpaid holds are released automatically before the deadline, with reminders 24 hours and 6 hours before.
- Wallet top-ups are by bank transfer, so allow time for the money to land before a hold runs out.
- There are no booking amendments in the portal. A date change means cancelling and rebooking, and the new rate may be higher. On a non-refundable rate, a forecast that moves can cost you the room.
The hotel cancellation policies guide explains how to read charge steps, and wallet vs credit limit covers how payment works on a B2B portal.
Where the Season Runs Into Golden Week
Golden Week 2027 starts with Showa Day on Thursday 29 April, then runs from Saturday 1 May to Wednesday 5 May, with Constitution Day, Greenery Day and Children's Day on 3, 4 and 5 May (Cabinet Office). It lands at the tail of the blossom season, in one of the busiest weeks of the year for domestic travel.
Don't sell Golden Week as Sapporo blossom week on the strength of the 6 May average. In 2021-2026, full bloom in Sapporo came between 21 and 27 April every year, before the holidays began. Eastern and northern Hokkaido, with averages in mid-May, are the better bet. Our Golden Week 2027 guide for travel agents covers the holiday itself in detail.
What This Page Can't Tell You
- It isn't a forecast. Every date above is an average or a past observation. We'll update the page once the 2027 forecasts are out.
- The averages are ageing. They cover 1991-2020, and recent springs have mostly come earlier, especially in the north.
- One tree isn't a whole city. The official date comes from a single sample tree. Parks, varieties and hillsides in the same city can run days ahead or behind it.
- No portal can promise a room. DMC Quote shows live availability and net rates. It can't produce a central Kyoto room on a full-bloom Saturday that the hotels have already sold.
How to Register for Japan and Korea Net Rates
- Fill in the free agent registration form with your company details. There's no joining fee, no subscription and no minimum volume.
- Upload your business registration when asked. Our team reviews the application, and IATA accreditation is optional.
- Once approved, search hotels in Japan and South Korea at net rates, add your own markup and top up your wallet by bank transfer.
- Hold refundable rooms while the forecasts settle, then pay before the deadline shown.
The registration guide lists the documents by country, and our Japan B2B travel portal page covers the rest of the Japan product. Register free →