Kawazu-zakura 2027: planning a February trip for Japan's earliest cherry blossoms

Events · Kawazu · Published 2026-10-24.

Kawazu's deep-pink cherries bloom a month or more before Tokyo's. What we know about the 2027 season, how the festival usually runs, and how to beat the crowds.

2026 festival

7 February to 8 March 2026 (36th edition)

2027 festival

Dates not yet announced (as of October 2026)

Trees

About 850 along the river, about 8,000 in the town

Station

Kawazu (Izukyu line)

Every February, a short stretch of the Kawazu River on the east coast of Izu turns pink weeks before the rest of Japan. The Kawazu-zakura is an early-flowering cherry with large, deep-pink blossoms, and the small town of Kawazu has built one of the country's best-known cherry festivals around it. Here is how to plan for 2027.

A cherry tree that started in a garden

The story is local and recent. Around 1955, a Kawazu resident, Katsumi Iida, found a young cherry seedling by the Kawazu River and planted it in his garden. It first flowered in 1966, and in 1974 the variety was named Kawazu-zakura. The original tree still stands in the town. Clones were planted along the river, and today about 850 trees line the riverbanks, with some 8,000 across the town.

The festival: what we know about 2027

The Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival (河津桜まつり) began in 1991. The 36th edition ran from 7 February to 8 March 2026. As of late October 2026, the dates of the 2027 festival have not yet been announced; they are normally published in winter by the Kawazu Town Tourism Association (tel. +81 558-32-0290). Expect a similar window, from early February into early March, with the trees usually at their best around mid to late February. Bloom reports for the season appear from February on Weathernews and other Japanese sites.

Getting there and getting around

• By train: Kawazu Station is on the Izukyu line along the east coast. Odoriko limited expresses from Tokyo stop there; the riverside walk starts a few minutes from the station. See getting to Izu from Tokyo.
• By car: festival weekends bring heavy traffic on the coastal Route 135. Temporary car parks open during the festival; arrive early or come by train.
• Timing: weekdays and early mornings are far calmer than weekend afternoons. Staying overnight in Shimoda, Inatori or Izu-Kogen lets you be at the river before the day trippers.

Warm up: hot springs near the river

Kawazu is an onsen town too. At Mine Onsen Daifunto Park (峰温泉大噴湯公園), a hot spring geyser shoots water up to around 30 metres several times a day, and there is a free foot bath to sit by. The park is about a 30-minute walk from Kawazu Station, or a short bus ride to the "Mine Onsen" stop; it is closed on Tuesdays and Fridays, and during the cherry festival the eruptions start after the spring is cleaned, around 12:30. Up the valley, the seven waterfalls of Kawazu Nanadaru make a good half-day walk.

Make it a cherry blossom season

Kawazu is the first act. In January the narcissus fields of Shimoda bloom (Shimoda narcissus festival), and in late March and April the cherry avenues of Izu-Kogen take over (Izu-Kogen cherry festival). Our earlier guide to the Kawazu festival covers the riverside walk in more detail.

2027 dates will be added here once officially announced. Geyser times and opening days change: check locally before you go.