Sakura in Fukuoka: 10 Best Spots to See Cherry Blossoms

Fukuoka, a city known for its vibrant spring culture, offers beautiful sakura spots, and whether you’re looking for picturesque riverside views or bustling festival settings, sakura in Fukuoka promises all that and more. 

Discover the magic of spring in Japan with Fukuoka’s cherry blossom season and learn about the city’s best spots for hanami (flower viewing). There’s no doubt that you’ll get the full sakura experience in this glorious coastal city.

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan and is the largest city on the southern island of Kyushu. It is located on the shores of Hakata Bay, and is well known for its yatai food stalls and fresh seafood.

If you were to travel from Tokyo to Fukuoka, there are a few options:

Bullet train: Taking the shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Hakata Station (Fukuoka’s biggest station) takes roughly five hours and costs around  ¥22,000 for a one-way ticket.

Buses: A one-way journey will cost around ¥18,000, involving a couple of different buses, and take about 17 hours.

Plane: Surprisingly, flying to Fukuoka is the most affordable option. You can fly to Fukuoka from either of Tokyo’s main airports — Haneda and Narita — in about 2.5 hours, costing from ¥6,000 for a one-way ticket via budget airlines like Jetstar.

Find out more: 3-Day Fukuoka Itinerary for First-Time Visitors

Cherry blossom season typically hits this part of Kyushu in late March. According to the 2025 Cherry Blossom Forecast, the first buds are set to flower on March 22nd, with full bloom occurring on the 31st. 

For the most accurate, up-to-date information, keep checking our 2025 Sakura Forecast or the Japan Meteorological Corporation’s (JMC) Forecast Map.

Find out more: Cherry Blossoms in Japan: When and Where to See Sakura

Join our Sakura 2025 campaign, running from February 1 to April 30, 2025, and get exclusive cherry blossom-themed treats!

Entering is simple. Just book a restaurant or food tour through us, and you'll immediately unlock a free e-book filled with tips for the cherry blossom season.

Your booking will also enter you into an exclusive prize draw to win a premium Japanese cooking kit, which includes kitchen essentials and a cookbook.

Pro tip: Leave a review after your meal or experience for another entry in the prize draw! 

Check out sakura season offers and explore cherry blossom tours!

Fukuoka Castle Ruins, surrounded by Maizuru Park, is a must-visit cherry blossom spot in the city. Set against the ruins of a once great castle, the park boasts around 1,000 cherry trees — perfect for spring strolls and spacious hanami picnics. 

When the sakura start to flower in late March, the Fukuoka Castle Sakura Festival is also held, lighting up the pastel-pink petals in the evenings and drawing kimono-adorned crowds for delicious festival food and cherry blossoms.

Another must-see sakura spot is Nishi Park, designated as one of Japan’s “100 Famous Japanese Cherry Blossom Sites.” It has multiple cherry blossom-lined paths and with its three observation platforms, it also offers stunning views of the city, Hakata Bay and the islands surrounding Fukuoka.

Also in this scenic park is the Terumo Shrine, the family shrine of Fukuoka's former feudal lords. How’s that for sakura with a side of Japanese history?

If you’re coming to Fukuoka at any time of the year, you’re likely going to want to visit Uminonakamichi Seaside Park. Even so, this is one you simply can’t miss during the sakura season, when 2,000 cherry trees line the expansive grounds of this unique coastal park.

The seaside park itself is based on a narrow peninsula just north of the city center, and it makes for a popular wedding spot year-round for its beautiful views. For a true understanding of this park’s beauty — and to spot every cherry blossom you can — we’d recommend to rent a bike and cycling around.

This next cherry blossom spot is one you could actually have seen from Uminonakamichi Seaside Park mentioned above! Fukuoka Tower is a 234-metre tall tower that, as you might expect, towers over the coast of Fukuoka — specifically the Momochihama area.

It is the tallest seaside tower in all of Japan, offering 360° views of Fukuoka’s scenery. As a result, it’s also a great spot for seeing cherry blossoms throughout the city. See you can glimpse any clusters of pastel pinks in the hustle and bustle of this seaside city.

Sanno Park is the heart of Fukuoka’s Hakata Ward for many local residents, featuring a baseball field, sports field and extensive sports facilities. And, at the center of it all, Cherry Blossom Hill.

Upon it, you’ll find plentiful cherry trees, including more uncommon varieties, like Ichiyo (20-petal blossoms) and Ukon (yellow-green blossoms). If you’re sick of seeing the Somei Yoshino variety that makes up about 70-80% of Japan’s sakura — as if that could be possible — come here to see something a little different this cherry blossom season.

Find out more: What is Sakura? History, Culture & Types of Cherry Blossoms

Located at the foot of Akizuki Castle — based in Asakura City, a historic area that’s about an hour away from Fukuoka City by car — and known as the “Little Kyoto of Kyushu,” Akizuki’s Sugi no Baba Avenue features 200 cherry blossom trees. 

Stroll through a gorgeous tunnel of pink petals, culminating in the ruins of Akizuki Castle. Coming here in fall instead? No problem — this area is equally famous for its fall foliage.

Only a 30-minute train from Fukuoka’s central Hakata Station — which you can spend dreamily staring out of the window as the coastal prefecture glides by — is the wonderful Atago Shrine. Located at the top of a tall hill, this shrine is blessed with sweeping views over Fukuoka and Hakata Bay. 

But, you’re here for Fukuoka’s cherry blossoms, right? Well, you’re in luck, because the shrine has hundreds of cherry trees, leading all the way up its incline and surrounding the shrine. Not to mention the cherry blossoms you’ll likely spot dotted throughout Fukuoka from your spot in the sky.

You might not have expected to take to the water in search of Fukuoka’s sakura, but that’s exactly what you’ll need to do if you want to enjoy the stunning cherry blossoms of this next spot: Nokonoshima Island. 

This area is popular with locals as being a great place to camp or enjoy a barbecue, but it’s in the spring — when its 260 cherry blossoms trees burst into visions of pink and white — that the island park truly comes to life.

Just over an hour by train from vibrant Hakata Station is the “Lone Cherry Tree of Asai,” also known as Asai no Ipponzakura. And you might be thinking, “is one cherry blossom tree worth traveling for?” Well, if it’s this one, then yes.

This one resplendent cherry blossom tree in Kurume is believed to be around 110 years old, has an impressive trunk circumference of 4.3 meters and a height of 18 meters. Let’s just say, you’ll see it far before you reach it.

This glorious Yamazakura tree is so rooted into Fukuoka City’s long history that since 1986 it has been designated as a “protected tree.”

Yet another hour or so from Hakata Station, based at the foot of Mount Homan, is the Kamado Shrine. It is known as a shrine for romantic fulfillment, you may already be heading here if your Valentine’s Day didn’t go so smoothly, but it’s also great for seeing cherry blossoms away from the most popular sakura spots in the city itself.

Chasing cherry blossoms across Japan? Here’s where to find the best cherry blossoms spots in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Or, if you’re just here for the seasonal food, check out these classic Japanese spring foods and things to do in spring.