Japan’s best cherry blossom photos of 2013

Only the best of Japan’s cherry blossoms from the spring of 2013…

…a warm start to March (the first month of spring in Japan) saw the bloom of sakura come early this year.

Kyoto hit it’s peak in the first week of April and Tokyo’s peak came 12 days earlier than average (at the start of the last week of March). In many areas, late snow fall covered cherry blossoms for an incredible mix of spring, snow and sakura.

This is a HUGE post with lots of photos! This year as I waded through thousands of photos to share on JapanTravelMate’s Facebook Page and @JapanTravelMate on Twitter, it was clear that this year the tourists, local photographers, J-bloggers and J-photographers were out in force!

Most of these photos look better at a higher resolution, so be sure to click on any photo to view a larger version.

The Best Sakura Photos from Japan 2013

Best of Japan’s Cherry Blossom Photos by J-bloggers and J-photographers

To wrap up the year in sakura, I approached my favourite bloggers and photographers based in Japan, and asked them to share their favourites…

By Leslie Tayler, GaijinCamera.com

Cherry blossom trees at Matsumoto Castle, Nagano Prefecture:
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Matsumoto Castle, framed by cherry blossoms
Photo by Leslie Taylor, gaijincamera.com. Original photo: Matsumoto Castle and Sakura

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Matsumoto castle and sakura
Photo by Leslie Taylor, gaijincamera.com. Original photo: In The Shade of the Sakura

The famous Meguro-gawa in Tokyo:
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Cherry blossoms at Meguro river, Tokyo
Photo by Leslie Taylor, gaijincamera.com. Original photo: The Blossoming River

By Japan Dave, japandave.com

A wall of cherry blossoms in Okazaki:
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A wall of pink sakura in Okazaki, Japan
Photo by David A. LaSpina, japandave.com. Original Photo: Cherry Blossoms 2013

Sakura surrounds a small bridge in Okazaki:
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Sakura surrounds a small bridge in Okazaki, Japan
Photo by David A. LaSpina, japandave.com. Original Photo: Cherry Blossoms 2013

Shisare-zakura (weeping cherry blossom):
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japandave-shidare-zakura
Photo by David A. LaSpina, japandave.com. Original Photo: Cherry Blossoms 2013

By Hida Satoyama Cycling

Tourists on a cycling tour in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture:
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Cycling tour riding under sakura in Hida city, Gifu Prefecture.
Photo by Hida Satoyama Cycling, satoyama-cycling.com/en.

By Shibuya246, shibuya246.com

A plum blossom and cherry blossom tree at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park:
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Plum blossom and cherry blossom trees at Kyoto Imperial Palace Park
Photo by shibuya246.com. Original photo: Spring Walk, Kyoto Gosho.

By Zooming Japan, zoomingjapan.com

A deer in Nara city:
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Deer at Nara (Japan) standing near cherry blossom trees
PENTAX K-x (18mm, f/7.1, 1/320 sec, ISO200)
Photo by Zooming Japan, zoomingjapan.com.

Great Buddha Hall (daibutsu-den) at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Todai-ji in Nara city, Nara Prefecture:
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Cherry blossoms in front of Todaiji, Nara
PENTAX K-x (18mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO200)
Photo by Zooming Japan, zoomingjapan.com.

By Lee Chapman, tokyotimes.org

A brief but beautiful cherry blossom moment in Tokyo:

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Hanami in Tokyo
Photo by Lee Chapman, tokyotimes.org. Original photo: Cherry blossoms in Tokyo.

By Muza-chan, muza-chan.net

Higashi Shinen, Heian Shrine, Kyoto:
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Sakura at Higashi Shinen, Heian Shrine, Kyoto
Photo by Muza-chan, muza-chan.net. Original photo: Japanese garden masterpieces, Heian-jingu Higashi Shin’en.

Sanjo-Ohashi, Kyoto:
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Cherry blossoms at Sanjo-Ohashi, Kyoto
Photo by Muza-chan, muza-chan.net. Original photo: Simply beautiful Japanese scenes, cherry blossoms in Kyoto.

By ME! Dean Wormald, japantravelmate.com

Sakura at Okazaki Castle – 岡崎城の桜:
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Sakura at Okazaki Castle
Photo credit: Sakura at Okazaki Castle – 岡崎城の桜

Okazaki Castle Park Sakura – 岡崎城公園の桜:
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Okazaki Castle Park Sakura
Photo credit: Okazaki Castle Park Sakura – 岡崎城公園の桜

Five-storied pagoda and sakura at Kofuku-ji in Nara. 奈良市 興福寺の五重&#22612:
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Sakura in front of the pagoda (goju-no-to) at Kofuku-ji, Nara.
Sakura at Kofuku-ji in Nara

HDR Photos of Sakura from Japan

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range – a photography process where multiple photos are taken of the exact same scene, at different exposures, to capture a broad range of highlights, midtones and shadows. When combined in post-processing, this images create a HDR photo.

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Sakura at Odawara-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture (HDR Photo)
Sakura reflections at Odawara city, Kanagawa Prefecture (HDR Photo). Photo credit: shinnygogo

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Cherry blossoms surround Osaka-jo (HDR Photo)
Osaka castle #1. Photo credit: Agustin Rafael Reyes

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Sakura at Osaka Castle (HDR Photo)
Osaka castle #2. Photo credit: Agustin Rafael Reyes

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Cherry blossoms in Tokyo (HDR Photo)
Tokyo Imperial Palace Moat. Photo credit: DJPHUNKYPHRESH

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Cherry blossoms in Tokyo (HDR Photo)
Tokyo. Photo credit: DJPHUNKYPHRESH

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Sakura at Tokyo Imperial Palace (HDR Photo)
Tokyo Imperial Palace Moat. Photo credit: DJPHUNKYPHRESH

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Sakura beside a river in Saga Prefecture (HDR Photo)
Saga Prefecture. Photo credit: WindyLife

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Weeping Cherry 'Shidare Sakura', Niigata Prefecture (HDR Photo)
Weeping Cherry ‘Shidare Sakura’, Niigata Prefecture. Photo credit: Shin-ichiro Uemura

More Beautiful Film and Digital Photos of Sakura

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Sakura in front of Tokyo's Skytree
Sakura in front of Tokyo Skytree. Photo credit: ajpscs

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Sakura at Chidorigafuchi (North-Eastern moat of the Imperial Palace)
Sakura at Chidorigafuchi (North-Eastern moat of the Imperial Palace). Photo credit: ajpscs

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Sakura flowers and branches in Japan
Photo credit: Mos Lin

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Kanzan sakura at Sekiyama, Niigata Prefecture
Kanzan sakura at Sekiyama, Niigata Prefecture. Photo credit: Mos Lin, 関山(かんざん)桜

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Two sakura trees and a train in Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Komi-nato Railway “Cherry Tree Light Up”. 小湊鉄道 桜ライトアップ Photo credit: 夜の鉄道 Railway at night

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Sakura and moon in Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Photo credit:月と桜 Night Sea

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Cherry blossoms at night at Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower.

Photo credit: 東京の夜桜 Tokyo Cherry Blossoms

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Cherry blossoms at Shirakawa
Sakura in front of a gassho-zukuri style house at at Shirakawa-go. Original photo from Hida Kanko Co. Shirakawa-go

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Sakura at Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Sakura at Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Photo credit: Miyamoto.

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Sakura, lights and reflections at night
Photo credit: Yoshiki Fujiwara

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"1000 sakura at a glance": Yoshino-yama, Nara Prefecture
“1,000 sakura at a glance”, Yoshino-yama, Nara Prefecture. Photo credit: Yoshiki Fujiwara

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Sakura in front of Kiyomizu-dera's romon (tower gate) in Kyoto
Sakura in front of Kiyomizu-dera’s romon (tower gate) in Kyoto. Photo credit: cadacha

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Sakura cover the Meguro-gawa in Tokyo
Meguro-gawa in Tokyo. Photo credit: mnagare

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Rows of cherry blossoms at Obuse, Nagano
Rows of cherry blossoms at Obuse, Nagano. Photo credit: polarstar02

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Sakura along the Ryuganbuchi Urui River near Mt Fuji
Sakura along the Ryuganbuchi Urui River near Mt Fuji.

Photo credit: Cherry Blossoms and Mt. Fuji 桜と富士山

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Sakura at Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture
Sakura at Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture. Photo credit: Spring in the Air

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Film photo of cherry blossoms at Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto
Film photo at Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto. Photo credit: Alex Chen

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Film photo of sakura in front of the old Yamagata Prefectural Hall
Film photo of sakura in front of the old Yamagata Prefectural Hall.
Photo credit: marutyo

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Sakura tunnel in Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture. Photo credit: Agustin Rafael Reyes

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A sakura tree in Tokyo
Somewhere in Tokyo. Photo credit: Agustin Rafael Reyes

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Sakura tunnel over a stream in Yokohama, Kanagawa
Yokohama city, Kanagawa Prefecture. Photo credit: Agustin Rafael Reyes

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Sakura surround train tracks
Photo credit: Matsuura

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Cherry blossom tree branches - Tokyo
Sakura branches in Tokyo. Photo credit: *Sakura*

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Film photo of sakura and a Japanese lady in Kansai
Film photo, somewhere in Kansai. Photo credit: Alex Chen

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Film photo, sakura in Kansai
Film photo, Kansai. Photo credit: Alex Chen

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Hirosaki cherry blossoms, traditional Japanese lanterns
Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture. Photo credit: Glenn Waters

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Sakura leaves scattered on a pond, koi under the water
Koi swim under sakura leaves, scattered on the surface. Photo credit: 九尾

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Giant torii and sakura in Kyoto
Kyoto, near Kyoto University. Photo credit: cadacha

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Cherry blossoms at the peak of spring in Kyoto - Shirakwaka River in the Gion area.
Cherry blossoms at the peak of spring in Kyoto – Shirakwaka River in the Gion area. 京都の春(祇園白川)
Photo credit: nobu

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Sakura at Hirano Jinja Shrine, Kyoto
Sakigake-Sakura at Hirano Jinja Shrine, Kyoto / 平野神社の魁桜(京都)
Photo credit: Kaoru Honda

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Cherry blossoms in front of Sakura at Hirano Jinja Shrine, Kyoto
Kondo Hall at Omuro Ninna-ji, Kyoto. Photo credit: ELCAN KE-7A

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Closeup of cherry blossoms at a pagoda at Miyajima, Hiroshima
宮島の桜 Cherry blossoms (closeup), Miyajima. Photo credit: kamoda

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Cherry and plum blossoms in front of the pagoda at Miyajima, Hiroshima, Japan
宮島の桜 Cherry and plum blossoms in front of Miyajima’s pagoda. Photo credit: kamoda

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Closeup of sakura in Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo. Photo credit: *Sakura*

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Snow-will blossom branch, Chiba, Japan
Snow-willow blossoms in Chiba Prefecture. Photo credit: Damon Bay

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Sakura stuck to a torii after rain in Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Fallen sakura stuck to a torii after rain in Chiba Prefecture. 鳥居に咲いた桜. Photo credit: Damon Bay

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A torii, a shrine, a little girl and cherry blossoms in Tokyo, Japan
A little girl bows before passing through a torii in Tokyo. Photo credit: Kohji Matsubayashi

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Sakura line a river in Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan
Ueno Park, Tokyo. You need to see the high res version of this! Photo credit: Wil and Lil

Best sakura photo of 2012?

These images aren’t from 2013, but they are well worth a mention!
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Snow on sakura at Mount Yoshino, Nara Prefecture
Snow on sakura in at Mount Yoshino, Nara Prefecture. Photo credit: Totoro Times

Finally, a very old cherry blossom photo

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120+ year old photo of sakura in Japan
120+ year old photo of sakura in Japan. Photo credit: British Library/Robana / British Library/Robana via Getty

That’s it!

If you like any of the photos above, be sure to quickly hit the VOTE button on your favourites.

Keep in touch with JapanTravelMate to find out which is the best sakura photo of 2013.