Kiwi Curated
Where to Go for all the Cherry Blossoms
by Darren DunneCherry blossom trees are native to Japan, but can also be found blooming in some lucky locales over the next few weeks. Blossom season is a clear sign winter is at a close, prompting festivals and celebrations around the world. This week, we’ve picked out eight cities where cherry blossoms form a spectacular backdrop, highlighting some of the events that come with them.
Where to Go for all the Cherry Blossoms
Where to stay: Fairmont Washington D.C., Georgetown
Famous for political chicanery and some of the United States’ most iconic monuments, Washington D.C. is also home to over 3,000 cherry blossom trees and the largest cherry blossom festival in the country. In 1912, Mayor of Tokyo Yukio Osaka donated the blossoms to honor the relationship between the United States and Japan, sparking the creation of a Cherry Blossom Festival. This gift was reciprocated in 1915, with the US Government presenting the people of Japan with a number of flowering dogwood trees. In the 100 years since, Washington’s festival has grown in scope to span four weekends and welcomes more than 1.5 million people to the Potomac River. Each First Lady serves as Honorary Chair of the festival, with Michelle Obama even planting a fresh cherry blossom tree in West Potomac Park in 2012.
Where to Go for all the Cherry Blossoms
Where to stay: Loden Hotel
Each spring, as Vancouver’s rainy season recedes, residents are rewarded with one of nature’s most spectacular sights–over 40,000 cherry blossom trees blooming in unison. The city’s love affair with cherry trees dates back to the early 1930s, when the mayors of Kobe and Yokohama presented Vancouver Park Board with 500 trees for planting at the Japanese cenotaph in the city’s Stanley Park. The colorful bloom and small footprint of the trees saw a boom in their popularity, and they were soon being planted by the thousand around the city. In 1990, nearly 36% of the 89,000 trees on city streets were cherry blossoms. It’s no surprise the city’s Cherry Blossom Festival is equally large, taking place over three weeks in March and April. Events include concerts, picnics, and a Japanese Fair at the city’s botanical garden.
Where to Go for all the Cherry Blossoms
Where to stay: Grand Hôtel Stockholm
Stockholm probably seems a left field choice for cherry blossoms, but the city’s Kungsträdgården (The King’s Garden) hosts a colorful canopy each April. In 1998, 63 Japanese cherry trees were planted in the park, and they bloom in mid-to-late April each year. This blooming is a little later than other cities due to Sweden’s longer winter. The trees have quickly become a gathering place in the city, providing a stunning canopy to games on life-size chess boards and lunch dates. Each April, Cherry Blossom Day is celebrated in the city in partnership with the Japanese government.
Where to Go for all the Cherry Blossoms
Where to stay: La Maison Champs Élysées
For six weeks each spring, the moniker City of Lights takes on a whole new meaning for Parisians. It’s during this time, the city’s pink and white blossoms strut their stuff, lending a dazzling hue to the iconic tourist sights and boulevards. Under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower is Parc du Champs de Mars, and it provides one of the best places in the city to snap photos and enjoy the show. The spectacular Garden du Palais Royal (pictured above) blends its cherry blossoms with daffodils, making for a beautiful contrast of colours when they bloom together.
Where to Go for all the Cherry Blossoms
Where to stay: Grand Hyatt Tokyo
Discussing cherry blossoms without a nod to Tokyo is akin to mentioning grunge music and leaving out Seattle. Japan’s capital takes cherry blossoms seriously, with the Meteorological Agency even publishing a cherry blossom forecast each year. The blossoms (“sakura”) carry layered meaning in Japanese society, and are often seen as a metaphor for the fleeting and ephemeral beauty of life. Blossom viewing parties are a centuries old tradition in Japan, and there are a myriad of famous viewing points across Tokyo, including Ueno Onshi Park, Asukayama Park, Meguro River, and Chidorigafuchi.
Where to Go for all the Cherry Blossoms
Where to stay: Smyth, a Thompson Hotel
Earlier, we mentioned how a Japanese politician had generously donated thousands of trees to Washington D.C. At the same time he made a similar donation to New York City, but councillors decided to take a different approach to the blossoms than the nation’s capital. Instead, the trees were spread across most of Upper Manhattan, with concentrations in areas like Central Park, Riverside Park, and Grant’s Tomb, which was later renamed Sakura Park. Though cherry trees usually live for around 60 years, at least two of the original trees from 1912 are still alive and kicking. They are both located in Central Park, with those seeking them out advised to enter at East 90th Street and head north until they spot the gnarled and grizzled trunks.
Where to Go for all the Cherry Blossoms
Where to stay: 25hours Hamburg Hotel HafenCity
Hamburg is a city that thrives on international trade, enjoying particularly close links with Japan thanks to 25 Japanese companies hosting their European headquarters in the city. It’s home to approximately 2,000 Japanese citizens, as well as 5,000 cherry blossom trees. These colorful specimens were donated to the city by the Japanese community in the 1960s, prompting the creation of an annual cherry blossom festival which takes place each May. This event features a mix of fireworks, music, sports, film, and culinary displays. The trees can be found around Alster Lakes, as well as the Altonaer Balkon Park.
Where to Go for all the Cherry Blossoms
Where to stay: The Franklin
British scholar AE Housman immortalized the cherry blossom in a somber poem entitled “Loveliest of Trees.” In it, he reflects on his own mortality and desire to perceive as many cherry blossom as possible before his own death: “About the woodlands I will go, to see the cherry hung with snow.” Nowadays, Londoners are spoiled with options to view cherry trees, and we recommend experiencing Kew Gardens’ cherry walk, which consists of a number of different types of cherry blossom arrayed in spectacular fashion.
Where to stay: Fairmont Washington D.C., Georgetown
Famous for political chicanery and some of the United States’ most iconic monuments, Washington D.C. is also home to over 3,000 cherry blossom trees and the largest cherry blossom festival in the country. In 1912, Mayor of Tokyo Yukio Osaka donated the blossoms to honor the relationship between the United States and Japan, sparking the creation of a Cherry Blossom Festival. This gift was reciprocated in 1915, with the US Government presenting the people of Japan with a number of flowering dogwood trees. In the 100 years since, Washington’s festival has grown in scope to span four weekends and welcomes more than 1.5 million people to the Potomac River. Each First Lady serves as Honorary Chair of the festival, with Michelle Obama even planting a fresh cherry blossom tree in West Potomac Park in 2012.
Where to stay: Loden Hotel
Each spring, as Vancouver’s rainy season recedes, residents are rewarded with one of nature’s most spectacular sights–over 40,000 cherry blossom trees blooming in unison. The city’s love affair with cherry trees dates back to the early 1930s, when the mayors of Kobe and Yokohama presented Vancouver Park Board with 500 trees for planting at the Japanese cenotaph in the city’s Stanley Park. The colorful bloom and small footprint of the trees saw a boom in their popularity, and they were soon being planted by the thousand around the city. In 1990, nearly 36% of the 89,000 trees on city streets were cherry blossoms. It’s no surprise the city’s Cherry Blossom Festival is equally large, taking place over three weeks in March and April. Events include concerts, picnics, and a Japanese Fair at the city’s botanical garden.
Where to stay: Grand Hôtel Stockholm
Stockholm probably seems a left field choice for cherry blossoms, but the city’s Kungsträdgården (The King’s Garden) hosts a colorful canopy each April. In 1998, 63 Japanese cherry trees were planted in the park, and they bloom in mid-to-late April each year. This blooming is a little later than other cities due to Sweden’s longer winter. The trees have quickly become a gathering place in the city, providing a stunning canopy to games on life-size chess boards and lunch dates. Each April, Cherry Blossom Day is celebrated in the city in partnership with the Japanese government.
Where to stay: La Maison Champs Élysées
For six weeks each spring, the moniker City of Lights takes on a whole new meaning for Parisians. It’s during this time, the city’s pink and white blossoms strut their stuff, lending a dazzling hue to the iconic tourist sights and boulevards. Under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower is Parc du Champs de Mars, and it provides one of the best places in the city to snap photos and enjoy the show. The spectacular Garden du Palais Royal (pictured above) blends its cherry blossoms with daffodils, making for a beautiful contrast of colours when they bloom together.
Where to stay: Grand Hyatt Tokyo
Discussing cherry blossoms without a nod to Tokyo is akin to mentioning grunge music and leaving out Seattle. Japan’s capital takes cherry blossoms seriously, with the Meteorological Agency even publishing a cherry blossom forecast each year. The blossoms (“sakura”) carry layered meaning in Japanese society, and are often seen as a metaphor for the fleeting and ephemeral beauty of life. Blossom viewing parties are a centuries old tradition in Japan, and there are a myriad of famous viewing points across Tokyo, including Ueno Onshi Park, Asukayama Park, Meguro River, and Chidorigafuchi.
Where to stay: Smyth, a Thompson Hotel
Earlier, we mentioned how a Japanese politician had generously donated thousands of trees to Washington D.C. At the same time he made a similar donation to New York City, but councillors decided to take a different approach to the blossoms than the nation’s capital. Instead, the trees were spread across most of Upper Manhattan, with concentrations in areas like Central Park, Riverside Park, and Grant’s Tomb, which was later renamed Sakura Park. Though cherry trees usually live for around 60 years, at least two of the original trees from 1912 are still alive and kicking. They are both located in Central Park, with those seeking them out advised to enter at East 90th Street and head north until they spot the gnarled and grizzled trunks.
Where to stay: 25hours Hamburg Hotel HafenCity
Hamburg is a city that thrives on international trade, enjoying particularly close links with Japan thanks to 25 Japanese companies hosting their European headquarters in the city. It’s home to approximately 2,000 Japanese citizens, as well as 5,000 cherry blossom trees. These colorful specimens were donated to the city by the Japanese community in the 1960s, prompting the creation of an annual cherry blossom festival which takes place each May. This event features a mix of fireworks, music, sports, film, and culinary displays. The trees can be found around Alster Lakes, as well as the Altonaer Balkon Park.
Where to stay: The Franklin
British scholar AE Housman immortalized the cherry blossom in a somber poem entitled “Loveliest of Trees.” In it, he reflects on his own mortality and desire to perceive as many cherry blossom as possible before his own death: “About the woodlands I will go, to see the cherry hung with snow.” Nowadays, Londoners are spoiled with options to view cherry trees, and we recommend experiencing Kew Gardens’ cherry walk, which consists of a number of different types of cherry blossom arrayed in spectacular fashion.