When spring arrives in Tokyo, the city transforms as cherry blossoms paint the urban landscape in delicate hues of pink. While famous spots like Ueno Park and the path along the Meguro River draw flocks of crowds, savvy locals will find that some of the most enchanting sakura blossoms are hidden in other urban corners of the city.
Here’s our guide to four spectacular cherry blossom viewing spots centered around Akasaka, perfect for anyone looking to experience hanami (cherry blossom viewing) in the heart of the city without the overwhelming crowds.
Akasaka Sacas
Akasaka Sacas is an incredibly charming area for cherry blossoms, with approximately 100 cherry trees that transform the entire area into a vibrant pink landscape in spring. The most eye-catching is the majestic shidarezakura (weeping cherry) tree at Akasaka Sacas Square. Its cascading branches of rich pink blossoms typically flower from late March to early April and create dramatic photo opportunities against the tower’s sleek glass façade.
Steps away from the Akasaka Biz Tower, Sakurazaka — or Sakura Hill — showcases rows of Somei-yoshino trees, with their pale pink, five-petaled blossoms. These are, in many ways, the classic Japanese cherry blossoms; they’re the variety that the Japan Meteorological Corporation uses when making its annual cherry blossom forecast. They typically reach full bloom in late March or early April, but this can vary from year to year.
Given the variety of trees here, you’ll likely encounter flowering boughs throughout the spring. The Biz Tower-adjacent area is also home to early bloomers, like the bell-shaped, deep pink kanhizakura and kawazuzakura, which are known to flower from late February to early March. You can find nearly-white yamazakura, too, along with fluffier, multilayered varieties that blossom from mid- to late-April. Adjacent to the TBS Akasaka ACT Theater, look out for several kikuzakura, which can last well into early May.
Adding to the atmosphere is a seasonal light show: From March 1 to April 30, the interiors of Akasaka Biz Tower will light up with pink, sakura-themed illuminations. The Tower’s open plaza provides ample space for appreciating the blossoms without feeling cramped, and several cafés, restaurants and shops within the complex offer sakura-themed specials. For the best experience, visit on a weekday evening when the illuminations cast a magical glow over the pink canopy while the business crowd thins out.
Toyokawa Inari Tokyo Annex
Just a 10-minute walk away from Akasaka Biz Tower lies the Toyokawa Inari Tokyo Annex, a historic temple opposite the grounds of Akasaka Palace. It doubles as a fantastic hanami spot. Besides clusters of early-blooming kawazu-zakura trees, the precincts are also home to hundreds of stone fox statues — messengers of the Inari deity — that stand guard throughout the grounds.
Cherry trees frame the main hall where Toyokawa Dakini-Shinten, a Buddhist deity often depicted riding a white fox, is enshrined. At night, the hundreds of red paper lanterns surrounding the temple entrance light up, casting the blooms in a dreamy red glow.
Sakurazaka
True to its name (literally “Cherry Blossom Hill”), Sakurazaka offers one of the most charming streetside cherry blossom experiences in central Tokyo. This sloping street connecting Roppongi and Azabu is lined with cherry trees that create a tunnel of blossoms during peak season. Easily accessible from Roppongi Hills yet wonderfully removed from its hustle and bustle, Sakurazaka presents a peaceful alternative to the more crowded viewing spots nearby.
Sakurazaka’s cherry blossom heritage dates back to the Edo period, when this area was renowned for its spectacular spring displays. Though modernization claimed many of the original trees, careful redevelopment efforts have restored the area to its former glory with several sakura varieties that bloom in subtle succession.
Tokyo Midtown Gardens
Completing our cherry blossom circuit is Tokyo Midtown Gardens, where approximately 100 Somei-yoshino cherry trees create one of the area’s most extensive displays. The sprawling greenspace within this upscale complex transforms into a pink wonderland during sakura season, and the cherry trees also light up in the evening from March 14 to April 13 for an even more mesmerizing display.
The complex will also host a variety of sakura-themed events, including Suntory’s Roku Midtown Blossom Lounge, an outdoor picnic space offering delightful cocktails, dishes and desserts crafted by The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo. Head over to the nearby Hinokicho Park to see an extra 44 cherry blossom trees surrounding a tranquil lake.
