[2025] What is Okayama's spring festival "Okayama Sakura Carnival"? When will it be held this year?

This service includes sponsored advertisements.

The Okayama Sakura Carnival is held on the banks of the Asahikawa River near Okayama Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle. This annual spring event has been held since 1986 and attracts about 70,000 visitors every year. We will introduce the schedule, highlights, food stall information, and access.

Written by

Okayama Prefecture Tourism Federation

Okayama Prefecture is located in the Chuo of Western Japan, and is known as the "Land of Sunshine" due to its warm climate and little rain throughout the year. It is conveniently located halfway between famous tourist spots such as Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, and is also the gateway to Shikoku via the Great Seto Bridge. Okayama is also known as the "Fruit Kingdom," and the fruits that grow in the warm climate of the Seto Inland Sea and sunshine are of the highest quality in terms of sweetness, aroma, and flavor. You can enjoy seasonal fruits such as white peaches, Muscat grapes, and Pione grapes! Okayama is also home to world-famous tourist spots such as Okayama Castle, Okayama Korakuen Garden, one of Japan's three most famous gardens, and Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, which are renowned for their history, culture, and art!

Table of Contents
Overview of the 2025 Okayama Sakura Carnival
Highlights of the Okayama Sakura Carnival
Will there be food stalls?
A wide variety of gourmet foods, from classics to Okayama flavors
Is there parking at the venue?
Are there toilets at the venue?
Notes
How do I get to the Okayama Sakura Carnival?
When will the best time to see the flowers be in 2025?

Overview of the 2025 Okayama Sakura Carnival

Date and time: Friday, March 28th, 2025 to Sunday, April 6th, 2025, 10:00-21:00

Venue: Asahikawa riverbank (east side of Okayama Korakuen Garden / between Horaibashi and Aioibashi)

Admission: Free

Contact: 086-803-8015 (Okayama Sakura Carnival Executive Committee)

*For inquiries during the event, please contact: 090-8719-9744 (local headquarters)

Okayama Sakura Carnival

1-8 Korakuen, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 703-8257

Beautiful cherry blossoms bloom along a 1.3 km long section of the Asahi River on the east side of Okayama Korakuen Garden. During the carnival, illumination provides visitors with a fantastic view of cherry blossoms at night.

Highlights of the Okayama Sakura Carnival

[A row of Yoshino cherry trees stretches for about 1km!]

The venue is about 400 meters long between Horaibashi Bridge and Aioibashi Bridge over Asahikawa River. About 250 Somei-Yoshino cherry trees are planted over a distance of about 1 km in this area, and when they are in full bloom, you can enjoy the shower of cherry blossoms up close.

Asahi River Sakura Road

703-8257 East Bank of Asahikawa, Naka Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Pref...

This is a popular cherry blossom viewing spot in the city, where cherry blossoms bloom for about 1km on the east bank of the Asahi River, which runs through Okayama City. The ``Okayama Sakura Carnival'' is held during the cherry blossom season. At night, the rows of cherry blossom trees are illuminated, allowing you to enjoy a fantastic view of the cherry blossoms at night. Cherry blossom season: Late March to early April

[The combination of cherry blossoms in full bloom and the castle is a must-see!]

Okayama Castle is located across from the venue, between Asahikawa and Okayama Korakuen Garden , and there are various viewing spots where you can see the Okayama Castle over the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

[You can also enjoy the illuminations after sunset!]

From sunset until 9 p.m., the cherry blossoms are lit up with spotlights and paper lanterns. The fantastical spectacle is different from that during the day and is a must-see.

Will there be food stalls?

During the event, about 50 food and drink stalls will be set up on the riverbank. Food trucks will also be making their first appearance in 2025!

*The food stall area is on the south side of the venue, so it is closer if you come from the Aioibashi area.

A wide variety of gourmet foods, from classics to Okayama flavors

You can enjoy standard festival foods such as fried chicken, potatoes, beef skewers, oven-baked pizza, Chiya beef ramen, Hinase oysters, local beer, and local sake, as well as local gourmet foods unique to Okayama. *The photo shows the 2024 event.

There are sweets such as crepes and chocolate bananas, as well as food you can eat while walking around. There are also fun activities such as colored balls and goldfish scooping! *The photo shows the situation in 2024.

Is there parking at the venue?

There is no private parking, so please use public transportation such as buses and trams. Okayama Korakuen Garden is also a short walk away.

Are there toilets at the venue?

During the event, temporary toilets will be set up within the venue. There will be men's and women's toilets on either side of the food stall booths.

Notes

Please observe proper etiquette when viewing cherry blossoms. The trash cans within the venue are for food stalls only . Please be sure to take home any trash from sheets, charcoal, packed lunches, food, or drinks you brought with you.

How do I get to the Okayama Sakura Carnival?

【access】

Bus: Take the bus from the JR Okayama Station East Exit (Korakuen Exit) bus stop (No. 1) for about 15 minutes, get off at "Korakuen-mae", and walk for a short distance to Horaibashi. Tram: Take the tram bound for "Higashiyama" from the "Okayama Ekimae" tram stop for about 5 minutes, get off at "Joka", and walk for about 10 minutes to Horaibashi.

When will the best time to see the flowers be in 2025?

The official Okayama Tourism Website provides information on the current cherry blossom blooming situation at cherry blossom spots in the prefecture. Check out Asahikawa Sakuramichi to see the current cherry blossom blooming situation at the Okayama Sakura Carnival venue!

Cherry blossoms in Okayama Prefecture

Written by

Okayama Prefecture Tourism Federation

Okayama

The information presented in this article is based on the time it was written. Note that there may be changes in the merchandise, services, and prices that have occurred after this article was published. Please contact the facility or facilities in this article directly before visiting. Some of our articles contain affiliate links. We kindly ask our readers to exercise careful judgement when making a purchase or booking a service online.

The contents on this page may partially contain automatic translation.