When should I book a kimono in Asakusa for cherry blossom season?

Blossom season is the fortnight when Asakusa looks best in kimono and behaves worst as a plan. This page is about timing rather than framing: when to decide, and in what order to move.

When is the cherry blossom in Asakusa?

Late March to early April in most years, shifting by about a week either way, which is why it is worth remembering as a stretch rather than a date. It comes in three stages. Roughly a week from the first bloom to full bloom; a few days of full bloom, which is the short part; then several days of petals coming down and gathering in rafts on the water. Added together, the period anyone would call “Asakusa in blossom” lasts two weeks at the outside.

Geographically it is concentrated along the Sumida river, with trees inside the Senso-ji grounds as well. Where to stand and how to frame a shot belongs to the photo spots guide, so this page leaves that alone.

When should I book?

The moment your date is settled. In blossom season weekends fill first, and inside each day the morning slots fill first. If you wait for the bloom forecast before deciding, the usual result is that the one day you can actually go has only afternoon slots left. Treat the season backwards from how it feels: book the slot first, then wait on the weather. The reservation deposit that confirms a booking is ¥1,000 for one to four guests.

There is a second regret that shows up every spring, which is wanting a photographer or make-up on the morning the trees turn out to be perfect. Photo sessions and make-up are booked in advance and cannot be added on the day, so decide on them at the same time as the kimono rather than at the counter.

What if I already know which kimono I want?

We can hold a specific kimono only when the rental is paid in full, and it cannot be swapped once you arrive. If you have a particular pale colour in mind against the blossom, or a single image you are trying to make, these two weeks are the time when holding one is worth the trouble. If half the pleasure is choosing on the day, come as you are and choose in the shop.

What time should the day start?

Early. The shop opens at 09:00 and same-day returns close at 17:00, so the earlier slot simply buys more hours under the trees. Blossom season also falls where the days are lengthening, so 17:00 still leaves you in daylight and gives you the softer late afternoon light on the way back.

Crowds build through the late morning and are heaviest around midday. The 09:00 hour is the quietest of the day all year round and that holds in blossom season too, though quiet in early April is a relative word. The gap is still large enough to plan around: walk the riverside in the morning and save the streets for the afternoon.

What happens if rain is about to end it?

Free cancellation and date changes close at 20:00 the day before your visit. After that we cannot accept a change or a cancellation, bad weather included. Rain and blossom arrive together every year, and a heavy night of it just after full bloom finishes the trees in about a day. The useful part of a 20:00 deadline is that it is late enough for the next day’s forecast to be worth trusting, so make the call then.

Is it too late once the petals start falling?

No, and this is the part people underrate. The falling days suit kimono better than full bloom does: petals moving on the wind, rafts of them turning on the river, a layer of them across the paving. Everybody comes home with a full-bloom photograph. A photograph with petals actually in the air exists only in those few days, so if you missed the peak by a weekend, go anyway.