Starting from 1st of March, it is officially spring in Japan for the year 2019!

One popular spot for travelers would be the Kansai Region.
Personally, I really love sakura blossoms! It is a good time to take your day off with your loved ones to enjoy a nice picnic under the trees.

Many people would use JR for their travels. However, JR Pass is not the only pass that brings you to beautiful places. Passes such as Kansai Thru Pass and Keihan Railway Pass also leads you to many beautiful spots around the Kansai Region!

Here are some examples of Kansai's many cherry blossoms viewing spots. Why not go exploring on the Keihan Railway this spring?

Cherry Blossom/ Sakura Spots

1) Kiyomizudera Temple

Image credits to Janet

This location itself has approximate 1,000 trees!
Generally open from 0600 - 1800, night entry available from late March till early April too! You may check Kiyomizudera's website for their timings here.

Entrance fee: 400 yen (general entry)/ night entry 500 yen
Access: 25 mins walk from Kiyomizu-goji station

Side Note: At the Re-roofing of the main hall is under work since 2016. It's almost like a once-in-a-lifetime renovation, as they only renovate it once every 50 years!

2) Heian-jingu shrine

Beautiful shot by Wenjie

Here, it has approximate 300 sakura trees. What makes this place interesting is that, it has a visually stunning architecture, despite its short history. It operates from 0830 - 1730 (Shin-en garden), but it is highly recommended to arrive early!

Access: 15 mins walk from Jingu-marutamachi station or 10 mins from Higashiyama Station
Entrance fee: 600 yen (Shin-en garden)
Side note: Gate opening time is subject to changes due to seasonality

3) Maruyama Park

Maruyama Night Hanami

Don't know what to do at night in Kyoto?
In spring, you can drop by Maruyama Park!
It has approximately 680 trees and is open year-round. Also, entry is free!
Light up period is available from late March till early April! You can chill and get a good view here.

Access: Approx 10 mins walk east from Gion-shijo station

4) Keage incline

Keage Incline

Beautiful view with a full road of sakura blossoms! Perfect for your instagram shot for sure!
It's also a very short walk from Keage station!

5) Okazaki Park

Okazaki Sakura

Being close to Heian Jingu, it is a really nice addition to your sakura hunting trip!

Access: About 15 mins walk southeast from Jingu-marutamachi station or about 10 mins by foot from Higashiyama Station

6) Tetsugaku no Michi - Philosopher's walk

Absolutely stunning photo by FastJapan

If you're a first-time visitor to Ginkakuji, good news to you! Philosopher's path is just close by!
Here, there are approximately 500 trees. You get to enjoy a serene, relaxing walk while passing by some traditional machiya.

Access:
(1) Take a bus from Demachiyanagi Station and disembark at Ginkakuji-michi or Kinrinshako-mae bus stop. Walk about 5 mins.
(2) Take a bus from Jingu-marutamachi station and get off at Higashi-tennocho bus stop, walk 10 mins; or disembark at kinrinshako-mae bus stop, walk 5 mins.

7) Yodogawa Riverside Park Sewaritei District

Source

Yawata may not be too popular for many tourists. However, here has about 250 trees lining up. Sewaritei district has a spot that is popular among local Japanese too!

Access: About 10 mins walk from Yawatashi Station

8) Mt. Otokoyama - Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine

Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine

This is a low-key must-see place in Kyoto! Consisting of about 200 trees, you don't have to fight with crazy crowds! It has been listed as Japan's National Treasure. Hikers can consider hiking to Otokoyama, but those who may not be able to hike can consider riding the Otokoyama Cable Car.

It is rare to have the opportunity to enter the inner sanctum of a shrine, but at Iwashimizu Hachimangu, you are able to join a tour, where you can find out more about the temple’s history too!


Operation Hours: 0530 - 1830
Access: from Yawatashi Station, take a cable car and disembark at Otokoyama-sanjo station, then walk about 5 mins.

9) Yamashina-sosui Canal

Photo credits

A personal favorite, Yamashina is stunningly beautiful for Spring and Autumn! You can walk along the canal of 600 trees, or cycle your way. Further up you can also visit Bishamondo Temple, where they have a weeping sakura tree too.

Access: Walk approximately 5- 10 mins from Keihan-Yamashina station/ Shinomiya station/ Subway Yamashina Station/ Subway Misasagi Station

10) Upstream of Uji-bashi bridge

Credits to K.W.C. Photo

Just walk towards the upstream of Uji River from Ujibashi, you will see that this area has a massive amount of sakura trees! (In fact, about 2000!)

Beautiful view, and it's a short walk from Uji Station only!

11) Ninnaji Temple

Ninnaji Temple

Operation Hours: 0900 - 1630 *Hours subject to change based on seasonality
Entrance Fee: 500 JPY
Access: Bus from Sanjo station, disembark at omuro-ninnaji bus stop, or board Randen (Keifuku Electric Railway) and it will be a short walk from Omuro-Ninnaji Station

12) Ryoanji Temple

Beauty in Zen Garden

Entrance Fee: 500 JPY
Access: Bus from Sanjo Station, disembark at Ryoanji-mae bus stop/ Walk 8 mins from Ryoanji Station

13) Hirano-Jinja Shrine

A red torii gate welcoming you at Hirano Jinja

Through the Edo Period(1603-1867), the cherry garden of the Hirano shrine was popular festival place of spring season Kyoto. Today, about 500 sakura trees are planted in the garden!

Hours: 0600 - 2100
Light up: late March till early April
Access: (1) Bus from Jingu-marutamachi Station or Sanjo Station, disembark at Kinugasako-mae bus stop
(2) About 7 mins walk from Randen Kitano-Hakubaicho Station

14) Randen Tunnel of Cherry Blossoms

Randen Train Passing by

15) Biwako-sosui Canal

Biwako Canal

16) Ishiyama-dera 

Ishiyama-dera, Shiga Prefecture

Planning to go up to Shiga? Ishiyama-dera is a spot that you shouldn't miss during spring! Here, it has about 600 trees that blooms around late March to early April.

Hours: 0800 - 1600 Daily
Entrance Fee: 600 JPY
Access: About 10 mins walk from Ishiyamadera Station

17) Sakamoto

This spot is a beautiful, quaint spot that we discovered during a free day. Disembarking from Sakamoto Station, we walked around and found this quiet place. Not much of visitors, and you only see cars passing by occasionally.

18) Mii-dera Temple

Operation Hours: 0800-1700
Entrance Fee: 600JPY
Access: About 10 mins walk from Miidera Station

19) Nagara Park

If you are in Shiga, why not visiting here?

20) Osaka Castle Park

Osaka Castle blooming with Sakura

Who wouldn't know about Osaka Castle when they arrive Osaka? Besides seeing the majestic castle, it also has a garden that is beautiful all year long!

With only about 15 mins walk from Temmabashi Station and a 200 JPY (Nishinomaru Garden). Entry is only between 0900-1630 in general, but from late March until early April, you get to see it being lighted up!

21) Japan Mint

Japan Mint Sakura

A famous spot for Osaka, this place only opens for a short one-week period! There are about 350 trees lining along their 560m path from their south gate to north gate. What makes this place popular is that, you can see a good variety of species in this place! After sunset, the bombori lanterns are lit, offering a fantastical view of the sakura hovering in the night sky.

Hours: Mon-Fri 1000-2100 (limited time only)
About 15 mins walk from Temmabashi Station

22) Hirakata Park

Hours: 1000-1700/1800 (official site here), Closed on Tuesdays*
Fee: 1400 JPY for entry only
Access: About 5 mins walk from Hirakata-koen Station

23) Kema Sakuranomiya Park

Kema Sakuranomiya Park

Not far from Temmabashi Station, Sakuranomiya park is a breathtaking place that consists of about 4800 trees located on the river terrace between Kema Araizeki and Temmabashi Bridge.

With just a short walk of about 5 mins walk from Temmabashi Station, you can enjoy a great view of sakura in Osaka during late March until early April.

Model Course of Cherry-blossom Viewing

1 Day in Osaka

From Kyobashi Station, walk 15 min to Osaka Castle Park
Enjoy your time around Osaka Castle Park, then walk 5 min Osaka-jo Pier for more sakura views.
You can also consider taking a round trip cruise!
If you are back to the pier, walk 15 min back to Kyobashi Station.
Board a train to Hirakata-koen Station, and Hirakata Park will be a short walk.
Enjoy the rest of your day.

1 Day in Kyoto: Higashiyama ver.

From Kiyomizu-gojo Station, walk up to Kiyomizudera (about 20 mins of walk).
Here, you can see beautiful view of Kiyomizudera and even a view of Kyoto Tower.
From there, walk 20 min and it will lead you to Maruyama Park.
If you have more stamina, another 15 minutes of walk will lead you to Okazaki Park, then to Heian-jingu Shrine.
After lunch, walk about and you will arrive Philosopher's Walk.
You can even visit Ginkakuji if you have extra time/ departed early of the day.
Later, about 20 minutes of walk, you will arrive Keage incline.

1 Day in Kyoto: Arashiyama-Omuro-Kitano

From Arashiyama Station, a 7-minute train ride will lead you to Katabiranotsuji Station.
Transfer here (about 4 min) will lead you to Randen Narutaki Station (Randen).
On Randen Train, pass through the tunnel of cherry blossoms until Utano Station (Randen).
A couple of minutes later you will arrive Omuro-ninnaji Station, where a short walk will lead you to Ninnaji Temple.
From Ninnaji Temple, return to Omuro-ninnaji Station and board the train to Kitano-hakubaiicho Station.
About 7 minutes of walk will lead you to Hirano-jinja Shrine.
If you have extra time, you could consider doing a night Hanami in Maruyama park.

1 Day in Shiga

From Ishiyamadera Station, walking for 10 minutes will lead you to Ishiyama-dera.
Then, leaving Ishiyamadera Station, a 20-minute train ride will lead you to Miidera Station.
From here, it will be a short walk to Biwako-sosui canal and Miidera temple.
Walking further will lead you to Nagara Park for sakura viewing.
Another 10 min walk from Nagara Park would lead you to Kamisakaemachi Station, where you can head to Sakamoto via train with a transfer at Hamaotsu station.