Now that March has arrived, you might expect the weather to get warmer—but lately it’s been rainy and a little chilly here in Himeji ☂️
Around town, beautiful plum blossoms have started blooming here and there, but we were thinking it might still be a little early for cherry blossoms… until today ❕
Today we spotted an early-blooming cherry tree near Mt. Otokoyama 🤩
With its characteristic heart-shaped cherry blossom petals, it really felt like the cherry blossom season has finally begun 🌸
The tree was already quite full of flowers, so we carefully checked around the trunk thinking, “What variety could this be?” — but unfortunately there was no sign with the name of the tree 😅
According to Google, it could possibly be Okame-zakura or Kanzakura, both varieties that bloom earlier than the famous Somei Yoshino.
By the way, did you know that there are more than 600 varieties of cherry blossoms in Japan? That was a surprise to us too 😳
At Himeji Castle, most of the cherry trees are Somei Yoshino, with over 1,000 trees planted around the castle grounds 🌸
These trees are actually clones with identical genes, which is why they bloom and fall almost all at once.
That’s why when they reach full bloom, Himeji Castle looks as if it’s surrounded by a cloud of cherry blossoms ✨
As for the Somei Yoshino bloom forecast this year, it’s expected to start around March 26–27 😊
Imagine enjoying a picnic while looking at cherry blossoms and Himeji Castle under the warm spring sun… ✨
Or spending an evening enjoying the illuminated night sakura… ✨
We can’t wait for the full bloom season 🌸
Gahaha Guesthouse is only a 3-minute walk from Himeji Castle 🚶
You can easily enjoy the cherry blossoms and the night illumination at a relaxed pace.
We also recommend an early morning walk to see the quiet castle and cherry blossoms in the peaceful morning light 😊