Cherry blossom in Kyoto: will the weather play along?
The cherry blossom is Kyoto's most beautiful moment – and one of its shortest. Full bloom usually arrives around the turn of March and April, and about a week later the petals are falling. Rain is the great risk: a stormy spring day can strip the trees in a few hours. In April, it rains (1 mm or more) on about 10 days in Kyoto, so about 66 % of days stay dry.
How likely is the right weather?
The share of days that stay dry (less than 1 mm of rain), per month. Tap a month to see its numbers.
- poor
- fair
- good
- excellent
- The moment's season
April at a glance
Your odds of dry weather
66 % chance that a given day in April stays dry
Chance of at least one dry day: 99 %
On average 3.3 of 5 days stay dry.
A guide from long-term averages, not a forecast. Days are counted as independent; weather comes in spells, so the real odds are somewhat lower.
Mild days, cool evenings
In April, days reach about 20 °C and nights fall to around 9 °C – perfect for walking the Philosopher's Path, but bring a jacket for the evening illuminations, such as the floodlit weeping cherry in Maruyama Park or the spring night openings of temples like Kiyomizu-dera.
Timing is everything
The exact dates shift by a week or more from year to year, depending on how warm the late winter has been. Japanese weather services publish blossom forecasts from early in the year. With 5 days around the end of March you have a good chance of catching full bloom; on average about 3.3 of them stay dry.
Cherry blossom elsewhere
The share of dry days in the cherry blossom month in Kyoto and in other cities famous for their blossom.
- 76 %
- 67 %
- 66 %
- 66 %
- 64 %
Quick answers
When do the cherry trees bloom in Kyoto?
Usually from late March to early April. Full bloom lasts about a week; the exact dates vary from year to year.
Does it rain a lot in Kyoto in April?
It rains (1 mm or more) on about 10 days in April, so about 66 % of days stay dry. Short showers are common; a stormy day can end the blossom early.
How warm is Kyoto during the cherry blossom?
In April, about 20 °C by day and 9 °C at night on average.
How the numbers are worked out
All values are long-term averages for 1996–2025: rain days count 1 mm or more of precipitation, snow days 1 cm or more of fresh snow. The snow chance is the one on our destination pages. Clear sky is 100 % minus the mean cloud cover. Sunrise, sunset and darkness are calculated for the 15th of each month. The weather on a given day can be very different; check the forecast before you go.
Climate averages 1996–2025 (sunshine partly WMO station normals 1991–2020), not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences
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