Japan enjoys several months of cherry blossoms between January and May. Due to the favorable climate conditions along with high altitude, rich soil, and moisture, Okinawa gets the earliest bloom of cherry blossoms between mid-January and early February. In mainland Japan, cherry blossom season starts from mid-March through mid-April. Sapporo gets the last cherry blossom boom between late April and early May. The typical lifespan of cherry blossom flowers is 10-14 days and overseas travelers must book flights based on the region of cherry blossom bloom.
Award booking flights to Okinawa
I prefer using Alaska miles to book Japan Airlines business class 360 days ahead of time, but it is easy to use several One World Alliance partners to complete the booking (https://awardcracker.com/award-booking-jal-premium-cabins-with-points/).
Okinawa Accommodations
Hyatt has three hotels in Okinawa including one SLH property.
Hilton has 3 resorts in Okinawa with a swimming pool and fitness center.
IHG has two resorts in Okinawa.
Unique Features of Okinawa Cherry Blossoms
- They start blooming in the northern region and then spread south across the island.
- They are bell shaped and hang down from the trees.
- The petals are dark pink compared to the white petals on the mainland.
- At the end of the blooming season, the petals fall intact to the ground, compared to the mainland trees which lose their petals one by one.
Best places to watch cherry blossoms in Northern Okinawa
- Nakijin Castle Cherry Blossom Festival
- Motobu Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival (over 7,000 cherry trees).
- Nago Sakura Festival (20,000 cherry trees and observatory deck)
Best places to watch cherry blossoms in Southern Okinawa
- Yaese Cherry Blossom Festival
- Naha Sakura Festival
Cherry Blossom Pictures
Summary
Many travelers to Japan are under the assumption that cherry blossoms can only be seen in mid-March to mid-April. Okinawa is an exception to this rule where cherry blossoms bloom from mid January to mid February, which is a wonderful time to visit and enjoy the festivals.