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Home / Festivals / April

Festivals in April

16 festivals in this month

April is peak cherry blossom season across most of Japan, with hanami parties under blooming trees from Tokyo to Kyoto. The Takayama Spring Festival showcases elaborate floats, while Kanamara Matsuri in Kawasaki draws international attention. Wisteria and tulip festivals also begin in earnest.

Top picks this month

Ueno Cherry Blossom Festival

Best for a classic Tokyo hanami stop in late March to early April, with easy rail access and dense festival atmosphere.

Takayama Spring Festival

A strong non-sakura anchor for April if you want ornate floats, old-town scenery, and a clearer fixed-date target.

Kanamara Matsuri

Useful for an early-April Tokyo-area weekend if you want something vivid and internationally known beyond hanami.

Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival

The late-April cherry blossom closer if your trip misses Tokyo bloom or you want the strongest sakura payoff in Tohoku.

How to use this month

  • Treat April as a two-window month: Tokyo / Kansai in late March to early April, then Tohoku in the second half if you need a later sakura bet.
  • If you are literally choosing the best cherry blossom festival in Japan, choose one reliable anchor first: Ueno for central Tokyo, Takayama for fixed procession dates, or Hirosaki for late bloom.
Takoyaki Festival - Food Festival
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Takoyaki Festival

Food Festival

Osaka's celebration of its iconic street food with vendors from across the city.

KansaiAprilCrowded
Kobe Infiorata - Parade
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Kobe Infiorata

Parade

Italian-style flower petal art festival with floral carpet displays.

KansaiAprilModerate crowd
Free

Related guides

Cherry blossom festivals guide

Best starting point for Ueno vs Hirosaki timing, regional bloom windows, and where to move if your first-choice city is early or late.

Tokyo festivals guide

Useful if you want April city events around hanami without turning the trip into a sakura-only itinerary.

How to attend a Japanese matsuri

Crowd, etiquette, and what-to-expect guidance before your first spring festival day.

Konaki Sumo - Seasonal
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Konaki Sumo

Seasonal

Crying baby sumo contest where sumo wrestlers try to make babies cry first.

KantoAprilModerate crowd
Free
Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival - Nature Festival
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Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival

Nature Festival

Stunning cherry blossoms at Hirosaki Castle with moat reflections.

TohokuAprilExtremely crowded
Free
Noh at Itsukushima - Performing Arts
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Noh at Itsukushima

Performing Arts

Noh performances on the floating stage at Itsukushima Shrine.

ChugokuAprilModerate crowd
Free
Tateyama Snow Corridor - Snow Festival
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Tateyama Snow Corridor

Snow Festival

Walk through 20-meter high snow walls on the Tateyama Alpine Route.

ChubuAprilCrowded
Free
Takayama Matsuri - Matsuri
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Takayama Matsuri

Matsuri

One of Japan's most beautiful festivals with ornate floats in the mountain town of Takayama.

ChubuAprilCrowded
Free
Chichibu Shibazakura Festival - Nature Festival
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Chichibu Shibazakura Festival

Nature Festival

Pink moss phlox carpet at Hitsujiyama Park in Chichibu.

KantoAprilCrowded
Kanamara Matsuri - Seasonal
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Kanamara Matsuri

Seasonal

Fertility festival at Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, known for its unique iconography.

KantoAprilCrowded
Free
Shizuoka Matsuri - Matsuri
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Shizuoka Matsuri

Matsuri

Spring festival in Shizuoka celebrating Tokugawa Ieyasu with a cherry blossom parade.

ChubuAprilModerate crowd
Free
Onbashira - Matsuri
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Onbashira

Matsuri

Suwa Grand Shrine's once-every-six-years festival where massive logs are ridden down hills.

ChubuAprilExtremely crowded
Free
Ueno Cherry Blossom Festival - Nature Festival
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Ueno Cherry Blossom Festival

Nature Festival

Popular cherry blossom viewing at Ueno Park with over 1,000 trees.

KantoAprilExtremely crowded
Free
Yoshino Cherry Blossom Festival - Nature Festival
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Yoshino Cherry Blossom Festival

Nature Festival

Japan's most celebrated cherry blossom viewing spot with 30,000 trees.

KansaiAprilExtremely crowded
Free
Ogi no Mai - Performing Arts
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Ogi no Mai

Performing Arts

Traditional fan dance performances at Itsukushima Shrine.

ChugokuAprilLow crowd
Free
Tonami Tulip Fair - Nature Festival
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Tonami Tulip Fair

Nature Festival

Japan's largest tulip festival with over 3 million flowers in Toyama.

ChubuAprilCrowded
Zenko-ji Gokaicho - Religious
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Zenko-ji Gokaicho

Religious

Once-every-seven-years unveiling of the hidden Buddha at Zenkoji Temple.

ChubuAprilExtremely crowded
Free