murmurMatsumae Cherry Blossom Festival
Matsumae Town · Matsumae Park
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Hokkaido Matsumae Tourism and Products Association · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Apr 18 – May 10, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually late April
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Held each year from mid-April to early May; exact dates are set every year
- Venue
- Matsumae Park
- City
- Matsumae Town, Hokkaido
About
Matsumae, the only castle town in Hokkaido, celebrates spring with this festival in Matsumae Park, held each year from mid-April into early May. The park, one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots, holds about 10,000 trees of some 250 varieties. Because early, mid-season and late-blooming varieties open one after another, the blossoms last for about a month, and you can even spot varieties first bred in Matsumae. Matsumae Castle, completed in 1854, rises among the trees, a sight unique to Matsumae. During the festival the park comes alive with traditional performing arts, and at night the blossoms and castle are illuminated. From higher ground you can look out over the cherry trees to the Tsugaru Strait.
Sources
- OfficialHokkaido Matsumae Tourism and Products Association travel-matsumae.jp
- OfficialHokkaido Tourism Organization www.visit-hokkaido.jp
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.