Enjoy the splendour of Tokyo’s four seasons

Each season reveals a whole new aspect of the city we know and love. If you’re wondering which season is best for visiting Tokyo, the answer is all of them! Here’s a breakdown of highlights each season has to offer.

Spring in Japan means one thing: cherry blossoms! The cherry blossom season usually lasts from late March until early April, and here are some of the best spots in Tokyo to fall in love with this cherry blossom fairyland.

This 700-metre path on the west side of the Imperial Palace is lined with approximately 260 cherry blossom trees – it’s almost like a cherry blossom tunnel! If you want to see Japan’s most famous tree in all its gorgeous splendour, then look no further.

The river is lined with a nearly four-kilometre stretch of 800 cherry blossom trees, making it a hugely popular destination during the cherry blossom season. The riverbank is illuminated from sundown until 9pm. There are also several unique shops in the area, so why not do some leisurely shopping while taking in the gorgeous scenery? This area gets very crowded, so try to arrive early in the morning for a stroll.

The season of amazing fireworks! Most firework shows happen in July and August, but the exact schedule won’t be confirmed until around May. So keep an eye out for special deals being offered by restaurants and hotels around that time.

The almost 100-year-old firework show features about 12,000 fireworks, which are blasted into the sky for an entire hour. You don’t want to miss this spectacularly explosive display!

This is one of the most popular displays that is broadcast on TV every year! Marvel in wonder as nearly 20,000 fireworks go off in the space of an hour and a half.

Location:
Site 1: Sakurabashi Bridge (downstream) – Kototoibashi Bridge (upstream)
Site 2: Komagatabashi Bridge (downstream) – Umayabashi Bridge (upstream)
Nearest station: Asakusa Station, Kuramae Station

Jingu Gaien Fireworks Show (神宮外苑花火大会)

Watch 10,000 fireworks go off in an hour. The paid viewing section also features musical performances.

This delightful Japanese garden boasts some of the most splendid autumn foliage in the entire city.

This stunning 300-metre golden pathway is adorned with 146 gingko biloba trees. They were planted from tallest to shortest starting from the Aoyama road entrance, creating breathtaking scenery that looks like something out of a landscape painting.

The 1.2km stretch of road between Yūrakuchō and Ōtemachi (Marunouchi-Nakadori) is decorated with nearly one million lights that illuminate the road from 5pm to 11pm every evening (midnight in December). This dazzling display typically lasts from mid-November until mid-February. If you want to witness the magical moment when all the lights illuminate at once, be sure to arrive a little before 5pm.

Come stand and gaze in awe at this dynamic display of radiant blue lights. The crowds really start moving in around mid-December, so be sure to arrive early if you can. This display takes place every year from mid-November until Christmas, from 5pm to 11pm daily.

Every year from early November until early January, the Baccarat chandelier lights up daily from 12pm to midnight. Special Christmas-themed illuminations are usually displayed from 4pm to midnight.

*If you are visiting Tokyo at the year-end, you can even catch the decorations of Christmas trees being changed to become “New Year Trees” until 11 January.