HCMC – Vietnamese travelers’ demand for Japan tours is rising as the cherry blossom season begins, with travel firms reporting increased searches and early bookings for spring departures.
Tour operators such as BenThanh Tourist, Viet Media Travel, and Best Price Travel reported higher interest in cherry blossom viewing packages since late 2025. These tours often sell out early due to the short bloom period of around 10 to 14 days and strong seasonal demand.
More early bookings have been recorded in 2026, supported by expanded direct flights between Vietnam and Japan and a weaker yen, which travel firms said enabled more tour departures during the spring peak season.
Japan is entering its busiest tourism period of year as cherry blossoms bloom across the country. Peak bloom in major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto is expected between late March and early April, a period favored by Vietnamese travelers.
Data from the Japan National Tourism Organization showed around 52,800 Vietnamese traveled to Japan in January 2026, up 4.7% from a year earlier. Growth was driven by expanded air routes and winter tourism, although the pace remained slower than in several Southeast Asian markets. The timing of the Lunar New Year in February also shifted peak travel demand.
In Kawazu Town in Shizuoka Prefecture, early-blooming cherry blossoms have already flowered along rivers and residential areas since mid-February, attracting more visitors compared with earlier this year.
The Japan Meteorological Association forecast that cherry blossoms will begin blooming in Kochi on March 21, followed by Tokyo and Fukuoka on March 22 and Osaka on March 25. Blossoms are expected to spread to Nagoya, Hiroshima, and Kagoshima by late March, before reaching Sendai and Nagano in early April, and northern cities such as Aomori and Sapporo later that month.
Below are some images of the cherry blossom season in Kawazu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture, in 2026.
