Cherry blossom photoshoot
Cherry blossom in the week it peaks where you are: late March to early April in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, mid-April at Kawaguchiko, late April to early May in Hokkaido. Booked by date, steered by the forecast, and shot early, before the hanami picnics arrive.
- Starting from
- $260
- Duration
- 30 min
- You receive
- 15 edited photos
- Delivery
- within 3 days
Only-in-Japan shoots
What’s included
- 15 edited photos
- Spot chosen on the latest bloom forecast for your date
- Early start, usually before 7:30 am
- Private online gallery within 3 days
Add to the booking
Bought with this shoot, never on their own. Fixed prices in US dollars.
Kimono rental & dressing
+$55
Hair & make-up artist
+$100
Extra hour
+$150
Reel add-on
+$120
Drone add-on
+$235
Express 24 h delivery
+$80
Mandarin-speaking assistant
+$70
Inspiration
Cherry blossom photoshoot: ideas for your shoot
Frames by photographers on Unsplash, credited below — the mood to plan your own shoot against, not our portfolio.
Photos: Red Shuheart, Anthony Tran, Daniel Bernard, Mika Baumeister, Roman Holoschchuk on Unsplash
Where to book it
Book Cherry blossom photoshoot where you are staying
Bookable in 19 places across Japan; the 5 below have a page of their own. Choose the one nearest your hotel — travel within it is included.
Plan around the place
Cherry blossom photoshoot: where it works best, and what to read first
Place guides
About this shoot
Booking around a one-week bloom
- Starting from
- $260
- Duration
- 30 min
- Edited photos
- 15
- Places
- 19
Full bloom lasts about a week, and nobody knows the exact week in advance. Forecasts are published from early in the year and updated weekly, so we hold a window of dates for you and fix the day once the forecast settles, usually ten days out. As a guide, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka bloom in late March to early April, Kawaguchiko in mid-April, and Sapporo and Hakodate in late April to early May.
Missing the somei-yoshino peak is not the end of the season. Yaezakura, the double-petalled cherries, open about one to two weeks later and hold for longer, and in Kyoto the late-blooming trees at Ninna-ji and along the Kamo river keep a shoot possible into mid-April.
Sakura week is the busiest of the year. Weekends fill every park from mid-morning with hanami picnics, so sessions start around 6:00 to 7:00, when places such as the Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto or the Chidorigafuchi moat in Tokyo are quiet. Some gardens, such as Shinjuku Gyoen, charge entry and restrict commercial photography, and we confirm the venue’s rules when booking.
You receive 15 edited photos in a private online gallery within 3 days, so you can post them while the trees are still in flower.
Before you book
Frequently asked questions: Cherry blossom photoshoot
What if the blossom is late — or early?
We go where the blossom still is. Full bloom lasts about a week and the date moves by up to two weeks from year to year, so if your day misses it we look higher or further north, or to double-flowered yaezakura, which usually peak one to two weeks after the common somei-yoshino. If you have a free day nearer the peak, we can move there at no charge.
When should we book?
As soon as you have flights. Forecasts start early in the year and are updated weekly; the first weekend of April fills first. We hold your date and fine-tune the spot as the forecast firms up.
Are there rules under the trees?
Do not shake or pull branches, and do not step over ropes or on roots — parks such as Shinjuku Gyoen and Ueno post wardens in season. Shinjuku Gyoen also bans alcohol and needs a ticket. We pick angles that make a few trees look like many.
Next step
Plan your Cherry blossom photoshoot
We reply within 2 hours, 9:00–21:00 Japan time. No deposit required to enquire.