Cherry, Cherry Blossom
Q.
They’re out here with their phones: some shooting up at the blossoms, some twirling below, some angling their freshly washed cars for the perfect cover shot. Others drag out their easels, brushes, and watercolours for a longer visit with the sakura.
‘Here,’ for us, is Vancouver. In which other cities are throngs cruising for cherry blossoms?
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A.
Lonely Planet offers their 2026 list for the best places to see cherry blossoms.
Top Places To See Cherry Blossoms. Lonely Planet. 2026
i. Kyoto, Japan
ii. Washington, DC
iii. Macon, Georgia
iv. Vancouver, Canada
v. New York, New York
vi. Paris, France
vii. Valle del Jerte, Spain
viii. Stockholm, Sweden
ix. Jeju Island, South Korea
x. Yangmingshan National Park, Taiwan
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Flytographer shows some overlap and some new city offerings…
Best Cities To See Cherry Blossoms. Flytographer. 2025
i. Tokyo, Japan
ii. Kyoto, Japan
iii. Paris, France
iv. Washington, DC
v. Amsterdam, Netherlands
vi. New York, New York
vii. Vancouver, Canada
viii. Dublin, Ireland
ix. Boston, Massachusetts
x. Portland, Oregon
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How did Vancouver become so be-blossomed?
Our cherry blossom tradition began with generous gifts from Japan. In the 1930’s, the mayors of Yokohama and Kobe gave the Vancouver Parks Board 500 cherry blossom trees to honour Japanese Canadians who served in World War II. They were to be planted at the Japanese cenotaph in Stanley Park. In 1958, Muneo Tanabe, the Japanese consul, donated 300 additional trees to Vancouver to celebrate the friendship between our two countries.
The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival – this year from March 21st to April 17th – is an annual celebration of our cherry blossoms. The Honourable Dr. David C. Lam was a key benefactor behind the festival and a grove has been planted at VanDusen Botanical Garden to honour him.
If you happen to be in Vancouver and are interested in getting out your camera, paints or just admiring the blossoms, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival has published a Blossoms map which lays out favourite photo-op locations , the names of citywide cultivars and which blossoms are currently in bloom.
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Speaking of cherry blossoms, here’s a memorable Canadian jingle from yore…
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