In Kyoto, the best time to view cherry blossoms (sakura) is from late March to mid-April. Various kinds of tasty and cute sakura sweets will be available only for this period. Get some sakura sweets that please both the eyes and palate, and go to “hidden spots” for cherry blossom viewing in Kyoto.
Sakuramochi made by a popular Japanese confectionery shop that started its business in 1899. The mochi (sticky rice cake) wrapped with two salted sakura leaves is filled with the shop’s specialty sweet red bean paste.
●Nearby cherry blossom viewing spot Kamo River
The riverbed with various kinds of sakura trees is perfect for strolling. Along “Nakaragi-no-michi” Road stretching from Kitaoji-bashi Bridge to Kitayama-ohashi Bridge, you can enjoy a tunnel of weeping cherry blossoms.
In this cute pink-tinted soft-serve ice cream, you can enjoy the aroma of sakura and the texture of the mochi. During the Sakura-matsuri Festival, this special ice cream will be available at a branch located on the grounds of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine as well.
●Nearby cherry blossom viewing spot Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine (Otokoyama)
Along with the weeping cherry blossoms on the grounds of the shrine, many cherry blossoms beautifully color the entire background hills in pink. Otokoyama Sakura-matsuri Festival will be held from March 20 to April 30, 2020.
Ampan (bean jam bun) by a popular long-established bakery in Kyoto. A pink-tinted skin contains a generous amount of sakura-an paste. *This product is available throughout the year.
●Nearby cherry blossom viewing spot Umekoji Park In this spacious park, you can enjoy not only cherry blossoms, but also plum blossoms and canola blossoms. Feel refreshed as you relax on the lawn.
A sakura-colored mochi filled with dense matcha an-paste, this great sakuramochi was created in Uji, where lots of high-quality matcha sweets are available.
●Nearby cherry blossom viewing spot Upstream of Uji Bridge on Uji River
About 2,000 cherry trees line both sides of Uji River upstream of Uji Bridge. One of the great ways to enjoy cherry blossoms is from a sightseeing boat sailing on the river. (*The sightseeing boat requires a reservation and is only available for a group of 10 or more)
