11 Days Across Japan — Sakura Season from Tokyo to Hiroshima
Tokyo → Mt Fuji → Hakone → Osaka → Yoshino → Kobe → Himeji → Kurashiki → Hiroshima → Shimanami Kaido → Miyajima → Fukuoka. Cherry blossoms, castles, Kobe beef, and the Peace Memorial — spring across Japan by shinkansen and rental car. Here's everything we did and what I'd do differently.
Overview
Sakura season in Japan is one of those things that actually lives up to the hype. For about two weeks every spring, the entire country turns pink — parks fill with hanami picnics, castle grounds glow under illuminated blossoms, and even the train platforms feel different. This trip was built around chasing the bloom from Tokyo down to Hiroshima, mixing cherry blossoms with castles, shrines, Kobe beef, and a full day at DisneySea.
The route worked well as a one-way journey: fly into Narita, work west by shinkansen and rental car, and fly out of Fukuoka. No backtracking. The Japan Rail Pass covered most of the shinkansen legs, and rental cars filled in the gaps around Mt Fuji and the Shimanami Kaido.
Is This Trip For You?
Route Map
Click on any marker to see what we did in each area.
All hotels, restaurants, and attractions from this trip, organized by area. Import the KML into Google My Maps to view all pins. Syncs to your Google Maps app under Saved → Maps.
Tokyo — Sakura, TeamLab & DisneySea
Tokyo during sakura season is electric. Every park, river, and shrine is lined with cherry trees in full bloom, and the locals take it seriously — hanami picnics under the blossoms are a national ritual. We based ourselves in Akihabara, which is central enough for everything and has excellent train connections. Three nights felt right for covering the key sakura spots, TeamLab, and a full DisneySea day.
Checked into Tourist Hotel & Cafe Akihabara, then straight out for the sakura circuit. Chidorigafuchi Park first — one of Tokyo's finest sakura spots, with cherry trees draped over the Imperial Palace moat. You can rent rowboats and paddle beneath the blossoms. Then Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden — a massive park with hundreds of cherry trees across different varieties, meaning something is always in bloom. Closed Mondays; arrive early to avoid crowds.
Walked to Meguro River at dusk — the most iconic sakura spot in Tokyo. Over 800 cherry trees line both banks, and lanterns illuminate the blossoms at night. Packed but worth it. Evening stroll through Ginza.
Dinner at Gyukatsu Motomura Akihabara — deep-fried beef cutlet cooked at your table on a hot stone. The beef is left rare and you sear it to your preference. Outstanding.
Lunch at Tenfusa Tempura near Toyosu — crispy, light tempura at reasonable prices. Then to Toyosu Market, the new fish market that replaced Tsukiji's inner market. The tuna auctions happen at dawn, but the retail shops and restaurants are excellent at any time.
Took the ferry to Asakusa via the Sumida River — sakura trees line Sumida Park along both banks, and seeing them from the water is a different perspective. Arrived at Kaminarimon Gate, browsed the Nakamise Dori shopping street, and visited Sensoji Temple.
Walked to Ueno Park — one of Tokyo's top sakura parks, packed with hanami picnics and food stalls. Dinner at Inshotei, a traditional Japanese restaurant inside Ueno Park with beautiful garden views.
Evening shopping around Akihabara — electronics, anime, and arcade culture.
Key rides: Journey to the Center of the Earth (the park's signature ride), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Indiana Jones, Sindbad's Storybook Voyage, Nemo & Friends SeaRider, Soaring (buy DPA — the standby queue is 2+ hours), and Toy Story Mania (also DPA-worthy). Skip Tower of Terror and Raging Spirits if you're not into scary rides.
Shows: Big Band Beat at the Broadway Music Theatre (use Entry Request in the app), Believe! evening harbor show, and fireworks.
Lunch at Magellan's — the fancy sit-down restaurant inside DisneySea. Make a reservation through the app as soon as the park opens; it fills up fast. The food is surprisingly good for a theme park.
Ended the night with drinks at Teddy Roosevelt Lounge in the American Waterfront area — cocktails in a beautifully themed bar.
Mt Fuji & Hakone
The Mt Fuji and Hakone area is a completely different pace from Tokyo. Volcanic valleys, hot springs, lakeside shrines, and the iconic pagoda-with-Fuji view. We rented a car for this stretch, which was essential for reaching the caves, breweries, and viewpoints that aren't well-served by public transport.
Drove to the Mt Fuji area. Explored Narusawa Ice Cave and Fugaku Wind Cave — lava tube caves formed by ancient eruptions. The ice formations inside are surreal, and the caves stay cold year-round (bring a jacket even in spring).
Stopped at Ide Shuzo Sake Brewery for a sake tasting — small local brewery with Mt Fuji spring water sake. Worth an hour.
Checked into Fuji Gran Villa, then drove to Arakurayama Sengen Shrine and climbed to Chureito Pagoda — the iconic five-storied pagoda with Mt Fuji in the background, framed by cherry blossoms. Late afternoon light is best. This is the shot you see on every Japan travel poster, and it genuinely delivers in person.
Dinner at Koushu Houtou Kosaku — flat noodle hotpot (houtou), a local Yamanashi specialty. Thick, chewy noodles in a rich miso broth with pumpkin and vegetables. Perfect after a long day.
Owakudani — a volcanic valley with active sulfur vents and steaming craters. Buy the famous black eggs (kuro-tamago), boiled in the sulfuric hot springs. Legend says each one adds seven years to your life. The smell is intense but the views of Fuji from up here (on a clear day) are worth it.
Lunch options in the area: Gyoza Center, Tamura Ginkatsu-tei, or Itoh Dining by Nobu. Afternoon at the Hakone Open-Air Museum — an outdoor sculpture museum set against the Hakone mountains, with a Picasso pavilion inside.
Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Hot Spring — a hot spring theme park with wine baths, coffee baths, and outdoor pools. Bring swimwear for the mixed areas. A fun, relaxed way to end the Hakone leg.
Alternative: Gotemba Premium Outlets for shopping with Mt Fuji as the backdrop, or a scenic boat ride on Lake Ashi (trade off with outlet/hot spring time).
Osaka & Yoshino
Henn na Hotel is the "robot hotel" — dinosaur robots at the front desk, robotic luggage storage, the works. It's a novelty, but the location in Namba is excellent for Dotombori and the Osaka street food scene. Two nights here covered Osaka itself plus a full day trip to Yoshino.
Drove to Mishima, stopping at Kubota Strawberry Picking Garden for seasonal strawberry picking. Japanese strawberries are absurdly sweet. Had lunch near Mishima Station.
Took Shinkansen Hikari 513 from Mishima to Osaka (1:46pm departure). This is where the Japan Rail Pass starts earning its keep. Checked into Henn na Hotel Osaka Namba.
Dinner at Kani Doraku Dotombori Main Branch — the famous crab restaurant with the giant mechanical crab sign on Dotombori. Book online for the main branch to skip the queue. Full crab course — sashimi, grilled, tempura, and hot pot.
Buses run from Yoshino Station and can take most of the train's passengers up the mountain, so don't worry about the logistics. It's a peaceful hike through the town and temples. Kinpusenji Temple — the grand Buddhist temple at the heart of Yoshino, with an imposing wooden hall. Yoshimizu Shrine observatory for panoramic sakura views down the mountain. Lunch at Tofu Chaya Hayashi — mountain-fresh tofu dishes, a Yoshino specialty. Also grab persimmon leaf sushi (kakinoha-zushi) from Hyoutarou as a takeaway — a local delicacy. There's also a really good warabi mochi shop up the mountain — worth stopping for.
Continued uphill to Chikurin-in Gumpoen, a temple with a beautiful traditional garden, then Hanayagura Observatory — one of the best viewpoints for seeing the cherry blossom-covered mountainside stretching into the distance. Pushed on to Yoshino Mikumari Shrine at the upper reaches before heading back down to Yoshino Station.
Evening train to Kobe. Dinner at Kobe Beef Steak Restaurant Royal Mouriya — premium A5 Kobe beef, teppanyaki-style. Make a reservation; this place is deservedly popular. Note: no overly casual wear (shorts, t-shirts, sandals) — they have a dress code. The beef is marbled to an absurd degree and melts on contact.
After dinner, walked Kobe Harbourland for waterfront night views of the port tower and Mosaic shopping mall. Returned to Henn na Hotel Osaka Namba.
Kobe
Kobe was an evening trip from Osaka — the main draw being Royal Mouriya for Kobe beef. If you have more time, Kobe has a vibrant Chinatown (Nankinmachi), the Nunobiki Herb Garden ropeway with harbor views, and the sake breweries of Nada district. For this trip, the evening was enough to get the best of it: world-class beef and a stunning waterfront.
Himeji & Kurashiki
Day 8 was a transit day done right — two stops between Osaka and Hiroshima, each worth the detour. Himeji Castle is Japan's finest, and Kurashiki's canal district is one of the best-preserved Edo-era towns.
Lunch at Kassui-ken near Himeji Castle — a traditional Japanese restaurant with garden views.
Shinkansen Hikari 507 from Himeji to Okayama (1:36pm). Short walk to Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter — a beautifully preserved Edo-era canal district with white-walled warehouses (kura), willow trees, and stone bridges. The canal reflections at dusk are particularly photogenic. Artisan shops and galleries line the streets.
Dinner at Kappa in Kurashiki — local restaurant in the historical quarter.
Shinkansen Sakura 571 from Okayama to Hiroshima (8:11pm). Checked into APA Hotel Hiroshima Ekimae Ohashi.
Hiroshima & Shimanami Kaido
Hiroshima is a city of contrasts — a vibrant, modern city rebuilt from nothing after 1945, with the Peace Memorial as its emotional centre. We paired it with a day driving the Shimanami Kaido bridges and ended with Miyajima Island. Two nights was just enough, though an extra day would have allowed a more relaxed Shimanami Kaido pace.
First stop: Hirakiyama Park — a hillside park with panoramic views over the town of Onomichi and the Seto Inland Sea. Then lunch at Seafood Restaurant Yoshikawa for fresh catches.
Drove across the Shimanami Kaido — a 60km expressway connecting Honshu to Shikoku via six islands, with soaring bridges over the Seto Inland Sea. The bridges are spectacular, and each island has its own character.
Oyamazumi Shrine on Omishima island — one of Japan's oldest and most important shrines, with a museum housing the largest collection of samurai armor and weapons in the country. Kirosan Park for island viewpoints. Hill of Hope on Ikuchijima — a hillside artwork and viewpoint.
Dinner at an izakaya on the islands, then watched the sunset at Setoda Sunset Beach — golden light over the inland sea.
Returned the car and took Kodama 863 from Shin-Onomichi back to Hiroshima (8:10pm).
Brunch at Yakigaki No Hayashi — grilled oysters, Miyajima's specialty. The oysters from the Seto Inland Sea are plump and sweet. Also try momiji manju (maple leaf-shaped cakes).
Friendly deer roaming everywhere — more relaxed than Nara's deer but equally photogenic. Took the Mt Misen ropeway up, then a short hike to the summit for panoramic views of the Seto Inland Sea and the islands dotting the water. One of the best viewpoints in western Japan.
Caught the 3:40pm ferry back. Spent the afternoon at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum — deeply moving and meticulously presented. Plan at least 1.5 hours; it's not something to rush. The personal artefacts and survivor testimonies stay with you.
Walked to the Atomic Bomb Dome — the preserved ruin of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, directly below the bomb's hypocenter. Especially powerful at sunset with the Peace Park surrounding it.
Last-minute shopping at Hondori arcade (most shops close by 7:30pm, but Don Quijote stays open late if you need more time). Dinner at Ichiran Hiroshima Hondori (24 hours) — solo ramen booths where you customize every element of your bowl via a form. The tonkotsu broth is rich and clean.
What I'd Do Differently
Book TeamLab Planets well in advance
Slots fill up fast during sakura season — we almost missed out. Book at least two weeks ahead, ideally a month. The experience is worth it, but only if you can actually get a slot at a reasonable time.
Yoshino deserves an early start
We barely made it to the upper shrines before having to head back to catch the train to Kobe. Take the earliest train possible (before 8am if you can) and give yourself the full day. The upper levels of the mountain — Kami-senbon — are the most spectacular and least crowded.
Consider an extra night in Hiroshima
Doing the Shimanami Kaido as a day trip works but feels rushed. An extra night in Hiroshima (or a night on the islands) would let you cycle parts of the Shimanami Kaido rather than drive, and spend more time on each island.
DisneySea DPA is worth every yen
Pay for DPA (Disney Premier Access) for Soaring and Toy Story Mania. The standby queue for Soaring regularly exceeds two hours during spring season. DPA costs a few thousand yen but saves you half a day of queuing.
Check sakura bloom forecasts before locking in dates
The cherry blossom bloom shifts by one to two weeks each year depending on temperatures. Check japan-guide.com/sakura forecasts starting in January. We got lucky with timing, but it's a gamble if you book too far in advance.
Booking Guide
Japan is well-organized and many things can be done spontaneously, but a handful of bookings make a real difference during sakura season:
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| TeamLab Planets | Book online, timed entry. Sells out during sakura season — book 2–4 weeks ahead. |
| Tokyo DisneySea | Buy tickets online. Use DPA (paid) for Soaring and Toy Story Mania. Entry Request for Big Band Beat. |
| Magellan's (DisneySea) | Reserve via the DisneySea app as soon as park opens. The best restaurant in the park. |
| Royal Mouriya Kobe | Reserve ahead — premium A5 Kobe beef, very popular. Book 1–2 weeks before. |
| Kani Doraku Dotombori | Book online for the main branch to avoid the queue. The iconic crab restaurant. |
| Himeji Castle | No pre-booking needed but arrive early (opens 9am). Cherry blossom season draws big crowds. |
| Hakone Kowakien Yunessun | Book online. Bring swimwear for the mixed outdoor pools. |
| Gotemba Premium Outlets | No booking needed. Check opening hours — varies by season. |
| Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum | Buy tickets at the door. Plan 1.5+ hours — it's not something to rush. |
| Japan Rail Pass | Consider 7-day or 14-day pass depending on your shinkansen routes. We used a 7-day pass from Day 6. |
| Toyota Rent-a-Car | Book online. Branches at most train stations. International driving permit required. |
Planning Timeline
| When | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 3 months before | Book flights, hotels, Japan Rail Pass, and TeamLab Planets. Lock in DisneySea tickets. |
| 2 months before | Check sakura forecast on jnto.go.jp. Adjust dates if possible based on bloom predictions. |
| 1 month before | Reserve Royal Mouriya (Kobe beef), Kani Doraku (Dotombori), and rental cars (Mt Fuji + Onomichi). |
| 2 weeks before | Download Google Maps offline areas for each region. Check which parks and mountains are in bloom. |
| 1 week before | Confirm all reservations. Pack layers — spring weather varies 10–22°C. Rain jacket essential. |
When to Go
Check japan-guide.com/sakura for updated forecasts starting in January. The bloom dates shift by one to two weeks each year depending on winter temperatures. A south-to-north wave means you can sometimes chase the bloom across regions — which is exactly what this itinerary does, following it from Tokyo westward.
Photos
Click any photo to view full-size. (Photos coming soon!)
What to Eat
Japan's regional food culture is extraordinary — each city and prefecture has specialties you won't find done the same way anywhere else. Here's what stood out across the trip:
Quick Tips
- Japan Rail Pass: Calculate whether 7-day or 14-day saves you money based on your shinkansen rides. For this trip, we used a 7-day pass starting from Day 6 (Mishima to Fukuoka).
- IC Card (Suica/Pasmo): Get one at any station for local trains, buses, and convenience stores. Essential for daily travel.
- Sakura forecast: Check japan-guide.com/sakura — bloom dates vary by 1–2 weeks each year. Start checking in January.
- DisneySea DPA: Pay for Soaring and Toy Story Mania priority access. Worth it during peak season — standby queues exceed 2 hours.
- Rental cars: Toyota Rent-a-Car has branches at most train stations. Book online, pick up with an international driving permit. Japan drives on the left.
- Convenience stores: 7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart — genuinely excellent food. Onigiri, sandwiches, and desserts are all worth trying.
- Coin lockers: Available at all major stations. Use them to store luggage while sightseeing between hotel check-ins. Sizes and prices vary.
- Cash: Japan is still cash-heavy. Withdraw yen at 7-Eleven ATMs — they accept foreign cards reliably.
- Tax refund: Available at major stores for purchases over ¥5,000. Process at the store with your passport, not at the airport.
Eleven days across Japan during sakura season — from Tokyo's riverside blossoms to Yoshino's 30,000-tree mountainside to Miyajima's floating torii. Hope this helps with planning your own sakura trip. Feel free to reach out if you have questions.