英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Below are the more than 20 types of cherry blossoms I've ever seen in Central Tokyo. Hope you'll enjoy them! これまでいろんな桜を楽しんできたのでリストにしてみました😊。（20種類以上あります。）
Sato Cherry Blossoms サトザクラ（里桜）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
There are a variety of Sato cherry trees (Cerasus sato-zakura group) but they're all cultivated from Oshima cherry. Sato cherry trees are late bloomers, so you can enjoy their cherry blossoms after the "cherry blossom" season in Japan, which means the Somei Yoshino cherry blossom season. If you're interested in other types of cherry trees, read this post!
There are a variety of Sato cherry trees (Cerasus sato-zakura group) but they're all cultivated from Oshima cherry. Sato cherry trees are late bloomers, so you can enjoy their cherry blossoms after the "cherry blossom" season in Japan, which means the Somei Yoshino cherry blossom season. If you're interested in other types of cherry trees, read this post!
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| 2023/4/9 |
Yellow Cherry Blossoms (Ukon Cherry) 黄色の桜「ウコン（鬱金）」
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are Ukon cherry blossoms (Cerasus Sato-zakura Group ‘Grandiflora’ A. Wagner). Yes, cherry blossoms are not necessary pink. Ukon blossoms are YELLOW while those of Gioiko cherry trees are GREEN. Ukon and Gioiko cherry trees are both late bloomers.
These are Ukon cherry blossoms (Cerasus Sato-zakura Group ‘Grandiflora’ A. Wagner). Yes, cherry blossoms are not necessary pink. Ukon blossoms are YELLOW while those of Gioiko cherry trees are GREEN. Ukon and Gioiko cherry trees are both late bloomers.
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| 2025/4/20 |
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| 2024/4/13 |
Winter Cherry (Cerasus x Parvifolia/Cerasus Subhirtella) フユザクラ（冬桜）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
The winter cherry (Cerasus x parvifolia 'Fuyu-zakura') is a crossbreed of Cerasus incisa and Cerasus speciosa. The cherry differs from other cherry trees in its time of blossoming. The winter cherry blossoms twice a year, in early April and in winter (from October to December), because of which the cherry tree is called "winter cherry" in Japan.
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| 2021/11/25 |
Somei Yoshino Cherry Blossoms (Prunus x Yedoensis) 染井吉野（ソメイヨシノ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms (Prunus x yedoensis or Cerasus x yedoensis). There are a variety of cherry trees but Somei Yoshino is so special in Japan that the term "cherry blossoms" often means Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms are all gorgeous but differently from other flowers, i.e., always associated with death or ephemerality because of their short life span of one to two weeks.
These are Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms (Prunus x yedoensis or Cerasus x yedoensis). There are a variety of cherry trees but Somei Yoshino is so special in Japan that the term "cherry blossoms" often means Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms are all gorgeous but differently from other flowers, i.e., always associated with death or ephemerality because of their short life span of one to two weeks.
The beauty reminds me of "The Makioka Sisters" by Junichiro Tanizaki, which ends with cherry blossoms viewing in Kyoto. The novel has no plot but is so intriguingly beautiful, based on the real life of the sisters of Tanizaki's wife, with a writing style which currently may not be necessarily popular due to long sentences. Its original title "sasame yuki" translates to "light snow," a metaphor of the Makioka family, which is declining and therefore showing the ephemeral beauty as cherry blossoms. The novel was translated into English by Edward G. Seidensticker. It's pretty long but worthwhile reading if you're interested in Japanese culture.
Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms are pinkish white as opposed to Oshima cherry blossoms, which at first are whitish pink, then turn to baby pink. If you're interested in other types of cherry blossoms, read the posts below!!
Takasago Cherry Blossoms タカサゴザクラ（高砂桜）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Takasago cherry is said to be a crossbreed of Choji cherry and Sato cherry. The cherry produces beautiful pale pink double flowered blossoms. If you're interested in other types of cherry blossoms, read this post!
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| 2025/4 |
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| 2026/4/1 |
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| 2026/4/1 |
Edohigan Cherry (Prunus Itosakura) エドヒガン（江戸彼岸）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Edohigan cherry (Prunus itosakura) is one of the ten or eleven wild species of cherry trees native to Japan. "Edohigan" translates into "Tokyo higan," named after having being seen in many places around Tokyo, which had been called Edo before 1868 when renamed as Tokyo, and its characteristic of starting to flower in around the spring higan period, i.e., three days before and after the spring equinox (shunbun). Despite such a name, however, the cherry can now be found across Japan. Edohigan cherry trees can live for hundreds or even a thousand years, much longer than other cherry trees, whose lifespan is usually 60 to 100 years. Edohigan is a parent of Somei Yoshino but not only that. It's a parent of weeping cherry, too. |
| 2026/3/29 |
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| 2026/3/29 |
Weeping Cherry Blossoms 枝垂桜（シダレザクラ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
There're a variety of cherry blossoms and every type is beautiful, but weeping cherry blossoms are a bit different with flexible strength, don't you think? Below are the cherry blossoms I've seen so far. If you're interested, read these posts!
There're a variety of cherry blossoms and every type is beautiful, but weeping cherry blossoms are a bit different with flexible strength, don't you think? Below are the cherry blossoms I've seen so far. If you're interested, read these posts!
Kawazu Cherry (Cerasus x Kanzakura 'Kawazu-Zakura') カワヅサクラ（河津桜）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Kawazu cherry is a crossbreed of Oshima cherry (Prunus speciosa) and Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata) and named in 1972 after the Kawazu town, Shizuoka prefecture (Source: Kawazu town tourist association). Kawazu cherry trees bloom from early February to March, a little earlier than other cherry trees. A Kawazu cherry blossoms festival is held in the town every February.
Below is a list I've enjoyed viewing for the last couple of years. Hope you'll enjoy them, too!
- Somei Yoshino cherry (Prunus x yedoensis)
- Taiwan cherry, Formosan cherry or bellflower cherry (Prunus campanulata)
- Oshima cherry (prunus speciosa) - white Oshima; pink Oshima
- Ichiyo cherry (Prunus lannesiana 'Hisakura') - Oshima cherry's kid
- Yoko cherry (Prunus campanulata 'Yoko')
- Winter (October) cherry (Cerasus subhirtella (miq.))
- Nanking cherry (Prunus tomentosa)
- Weeping Yoshino cherry (Prunus lannesiana Wilson 'Sendai Shidare')
- Fugenzo cherry (Cerasus sato-zakura group ‘albo-rosea’ Makino)
- Yellow cherry or ukon cherry (Cerasus Sato-zakura Group ‘Grandiflora’ A. Wagner)
- Kanzan cherry (Prunus lannesiana 'Sekiyama')
- Mountain cherry (Cerasus jamasakura)
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| 2026/2/28 |
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| 2026/2/28 |
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| 2026/2/28 |
Taiwan Cherry Blossoms (Prunus Campanulata) カンヒザクラ（寒緋桜）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata) is native to Japan, Taiwan, southern and eastern China, and Vietnam, blooming from January (in Okinawa; the southernmost and westernmost prefecture) to March (the mainland) in Japan. The blossoms are pink but much deeper than other cherry blossoms and are bell shaped, which is also different from others.
Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata) is native to Japan, Taiwan, southern and eastern China, and Vietnam, blooming from January (in Okinawa; the southernmost and westernmost prefecture) to March (the mainland) in Japan. The blossoms are pink but much deeper than other cherry blossoms and are bell shaped, which is also different from others.
Cherry blossoms usually mean Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms (Prunus x yedoensis) in mainland Japan but Taiwan cherry in Okinawa. Somei Yoshino and Taiwan cherry blossoms are quite different but both are beautiful respectively.
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| 2024/3/3 |
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| 2024/3/3 |
Sato Cherry (Prunus Serrulata) ヤエベニトラノオ（八重紅虎の尾）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Oshima cherry blossoms have almost all fallen in Tokyo and now late bloomers, such as Sato cherry (Prunus serrulata), are in full blossom! There are various types of Sato cherry trees and the first three photos are of one of them, named Yae beni toranoo, meaning "double flowered pink tiger tails" after its branches with dense clusters of pale pink blossoms that look like tiger tails. Gorgeous!
Oshima cherry blossoms have almost all fallen in Tokyo and now late bloomers, such as Sato cherry (Prunus serrulata), are in full blossom! There are various types of Sato cherry trees and the first three photos are of one of them, named Yae beni toranoo, meaning "double flowered pink tiger tails" after its branches with dense clusters of pale pink blossoms that look like tiger tails. Gorgeous!
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| 2025/4/19 Yae beni toranoo ヤエベニトラノオ |
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| 2025/4/19 |
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| 2025/4/19 |
Green Cherry Blossoms (Gioiko Cherry) 緑の桜「ギョイコウ（御衣黄）」
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I enjoyed YELLOW and GREEN cherry blossoms yesterday at Hama-rikyu Gardens in Tokyo, one is Ukon (see this post) and the other is Gioiko (Cerasus Sato-zakura Group ‘Gioiko’ Koidz.) in this post!
The name "Gioiko" is after the yellow color of Japanese nobility clothing, but as you can see, these blossoms are rather green. The chloroplasts of Gioiko and Ukon both contain carotenoid (i.e., yellow pigment) and chlorophyll (i.e., green pigment) but Gioiko's contain more chlorophyll, producing yellowish GREEN flowers while Ukon's contain less chlorophyll, producing greenish YELLOW blossoms.
Despite such green blossoms, its Japanese name "御衣黄" contains "黄," which means yellow. It's so confusing.
Oshima Cherry Blossoms (Prunus Speciosa) 大島桜（オオシマザクラ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
There are a variety of cherry blossoms and the king of them is Somei Yoshino, but Oshima cherry blossoms (Prunus speciosa) are not bad, i.e., as beautiful as, and more gorgeous than, Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms, aren't they?
There are a variety of cherry blossoms and the king of them is Somei Yoshino, but Oshima cherry blossoms (Prunus speciosa) are not bad, i.e., as beautiful as, and more gorgeous than, Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms, aren't they?
Unlike Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms, which are pinkish white, Oshima cherry blossoms are whitish pink at first, then turn to baby pink. Another difference between Oshima and Somei Yoshino is that Oshima cherry trees produce blossoms and leaves at the same time (as you can see in these photos) while Somei Yoshino produces blossoms first and then leaves after blossoms fall.
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| 2025/3/27 |
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| 2025/3/30 Oshima cherry blossoms are white at first 最初はこんな感じ |
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| 2023/3/20 They're also Oshima cherry |
Okame Cherry (Prunus Incamp Cv. Okame) オカメザクラ（お亀桜）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
A flying crow always catches something and so do I. While on a walk in my neighborhood at the weekend, I found this Okame cherry tree, which was in full bloom! I thought at first it was a Kawazu cherry tree. The Kawazu and the Okame cherry trees resemble each other, i.e., blooming earlier with more pink blossoms than other cherry threes but the Okame cherry petals are a little smaller than Kawazu's.
Spring weather is unstable. It was like spring in Tokyo when I took these photos two days ago but rained and snowed yesterday. Most of these blossoms must have fallen.
The Okame cherry is created by Collingwood Ingram, a British authority on Japanese cherry trees.
A flying crow always catches something and so do I. While on a walk in my neighborhood at the weekend, I found this Okame cherry tree, which was in full bloom! I thought at first it was a Kawazu cherry tree. The Kawazu and the Okame cherry trees resemble each other, i.e., blooming earlier with more pink blossoms than other cherry threes but the Okame cherry petals are a little smaller than Kawazu's.
Spring weather is unstable. It was like spring in Tokyo when I took these photos two days ago but rained and snowed yesterday. Most of these blossoms must have fallen.
The Okame cherry is created by Collingwood Ingram, a British authority on Japanese cherry trees.
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| 2025/3/2 |
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| 2025/3/2 |
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| 2025/3/2 |
Yoko Cherry Blossoms (Cerasus ‘Yoko’) 陽光桜（ヨウコウザクラ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
They're Yoko cherry blossoms (Cerasus ‘Yoko’). The pink blossoms stood out from a distance. It was warmer in February but got colder in March. It's been very windy these days. Such unusual weather has delayed the beginning of the cherry blossom season across Japan. (I saw almost full-bloomed blossoms on these Yoko cherry trees in mid-March last year.) But that's not bad, is it?
They're Yoko cherry blossoms (Cerasus ‘Yoko’). The pink blossoms stood out from a distance. It was warmer in February but got colder in March. It's been very windy these days. Such unusual weather has delayed the beginning of the cherry blossom season across Japan. (I saw almost full-bloomed blossoms on these Yoko cherry trees in mid-March last year.) But that's not bad, is it?
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| Yoko cherry (Cerasus Yoko) ヨウコウザクラ（陽光桜） |
Blue Sky After Snowfall 雪の後の青空
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
It snowed heavily in Tokyo yesterday and the day before (I mean heavily for Tokyo!), so I didn't go out for the two days. This morning, the temperature was 2°C (which is very low for Tokyo) and the air was cold but the winter cherry blossoms, which have survived the snow, were so beautiful against the clear blue sky.
It snowed heavily in Tokyo yesterday and the day before (I mean heavily for Tokyo!), so I didn't go out for the two days. This morning, the temperature was 2°C (which is very low for Tokyo) and the air was cold but the winter cherry blossoms, which have survived the snow, were so beautiful against the clear blue sky.
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| Winter cherry against blue sky 青空と冬桜 |
Double Pink Flowered Cherry Blossoms 八重桜
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
They're double flowered cherry blossoms. Cherry trees generally bloom from early February (e.g., Kawazu cherry and Taiwan cherry) to mid-to late March (e.g., Oshima and Somei cherry trees), then early April (e.g., double-flowered cherry and mountain cherry). So, the blooming of double flowered cherry trees means the cherry blossom season this year will soon be over. But before that, enjoy these pretty "chubby" blossoms!!
Below are the cherry blossoms I've seen this year. If you're interested in them, read these posts, too!!
They're double flowered cherry blossoms. Cherry trees generally bloom from early February (e.g., Kawazu cherry and Taiwan cherry) to mid-to late March (e.g., Oshima and Somei cherry trees), then early April (e.g., double-flowered cherry and mountain cherry). So, the blooming of double flowered cherry trees means the cherry blossom season this year will soon be over. But before that, enjoy these pretty "chubby" blossoms!!
Below are the cherry blossoms I've seen this year. If you're interested in them, read these posts, too!!
- Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata)
- Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
- Kawazu cherry (Cerasus lannesiana)
- Pink & white Oshima cherry (Prunus speciosa)
- Weeping cherry blossoms
- Somei cherry (Prunus x yedoensis)
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| Double pink flowered cherry blossoms 八重桜 |
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| Double pink flowered cherry blossoms 八重桜 |
Yoko Cherry Blossoms (Cerasus ‘Yoko’) 陽光桜（ヨウコウザクラ）
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
They're Yoko cherry blossoms (Cerasus ‘Yoko’). The pink blossoms stood out from a distance and have increased the number of types of cherry trees I've seen this spring so far to three.
They're Yoko cherry blossoms (Cerasus ‘Yoko’). The pink blossoms stood out from a distance and have increased the number of types of cherry trees I've seen this spring so far to three.
For the last several years, I've created a list of cherry blossoms I see in the spring and the lists last year and in the year before didn't include cherry laurel blossoms because the tree is not counted as cherry in Japan. (Click here to find out why.) But how can "cherry" laurel not be a cherry tree?! So I've included cherry laurel in the list this year as below. The list should include more!!🌸
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| Yoko cherry blossoms 陽光桜 |
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| Cerasus ‘Yoko’ ヨウコウザクラ |
Cherry Blossoms Onto A Tree Trunk 胴吹き桜
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Cherry blossoms usually bloom on the branches, and in Tokyo they've already started to fall, but the blossoms in these photos are not. They're still clinging onto the tree trunk. This often occurs to old trees and there's a reason for that.
Old trees are less energetic, so try to make energy with less cost, i.e., producing leaves for photosynthesis as close to the trunk, which is the main body of the tree, as possible. The thing is however that cherry trees generally produce flowers before leaves and producing flowers costs more energy...
Cherry blossoms usually bloom on the branches, and in Tokyo they've already started to fall, but the blossoms in these photos are not. They're still clinging onto the tree trunk. This often occurs to old trees and there's a reason for that.
Old trees are less energetic, so try to make energy with less cost, i.e., producing leaves for photosynthesis as close to the trunk, which is the main body of the tree, as possible. The thing is however that cherry trees generally produce flowers before leaves and producing flowers costs more energy...
Cherry trees are wise and silly, aren't they? Thanks to this, however, people can still enjoy viewing beautiful cherry blossoms after those on the branches have fallen, and I've come to love cherry trees more than I did before😊.
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| Yoshino cherry blossoms on the tree trunk 胴吹き桜 |
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| Oshima cherry blossoms 大島桜 |
Prunus x Yedoensis (Yoshino Cherry) Blossoms 染井吉野（ソメイヨシノ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are Prunus x yedoensis or Yoshino cherry blossoms. Yoshino cherry is one of the most popular cherry cultivars in Japan. I was so lucky to be able to take these close-up photos of such beautiful Yoshino cherry blossoms this season.
Most of the Yoshino cherry trees in my neighborhood are tall and have blossoms high on the trees, but on March 27 when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom in Tokyo this year, I found several Yoshino cherry trees, which were tall but had blossoms lower, like 2 meters from the ground.
Now I'm looking forward to seeing my another favorite cherry blossoms, i.e., Gyoiko. They're green/yellow, starting to bloom in mid to late April.
These are Prunus x yedoensis or Yoshino cherry blossoms. Yoshino cherry is one of the most popular cherry cultivars in Japan. I was so lucky to be able to take these close-up photos of such beautiful Yoshino cherry blossoms this season.
Most of the Yoshino cherry trees in my neighborhood are tall and have blossoms high on the trees, but on March 27 when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom in Tokyo this year, I found several Yoshino cherry trees, which were tall but had blossoms lower, like 2 meters from the ground.
Now I'm looking forward to seeing my another favorite cherry blossoms, i.e., Gyoiko. They're green/yellow, starting to bloom in mid to late April.
If you're interested in other cherry blossoms, Yoko, Okame, Kawazu, and Taiwan cherry blossoms, which are all pink, and Oshima cherry blossoms, which are mostly white, click the link(s)!
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| Prunus x yedoensis blossoms 染井吉野 |
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| Yoshino cherry 染井吉野 |
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| The most popular cherry blossoms in Japan 桜といえばやっぱり染井吉野かな |
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