Things to Do in Yokohama in April

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Stay in Yokohama in April

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Cherry blossom timing decides your April in Yokohama. The Somei Yoshino trees along the Ooka River and around the pond at Sankeien usually reach full bloom in the last days of March or the first days of April, and by about April 10 most of the petals are on the pavement. Arrive in the first week and the trees form pink tunnels over the water near Sakuragicho. Come on April 15 and you get fresh green leaves, tulips, and far fewer people.

Daytime highs average 18.8°C (66°F) and nights drop to around 11.1°C (52°F), with mornings in Yamashita Park still cool when the wind comes off Tokyo Bay. Rain is the catch: spring fronts cross Kanagawa every few days, and one wet Saturday can strip a tree bare overnight. That smell of wet asphalt and crushed petals along the Ooka River is very much part of April here.

Golden Week starts with Showa Day on April 29, and domestic travel jumps from that date: hotel rates in Minato Mirai rise, Chinatown's Chukagai-odori fills shoulder to shoulder, and the trains from Yokohama Station to Kamakura run packed. The stretch from roughly April 8 to April 25 is quietly excellent. The blossoms are gone by then, but so are the crowds, and the holiday week has not yet started.

Why visit in April

Walking the Ooka River promenade between Sakuragicho and Gumyoji costs nothing, and you get about 3km (1.9 miles) of cherry trees on both banks.
Yokohama Park in Kannai plants tens of thousands of tulips that tend to peak in mid-April, after the cherries across the city have faded.
The harbor walk from Osanbashi Pier to the Red Brick Warehouse is comfortable at midday in April, unlike the 31-32°C (88-90°F) highs of July and August.
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars open their Central League season in late March, so April brings a run of home games in Kannai.

Worth knowing

Bloom dates in Yokohama shift by a week or more from year to year, so a trip booked months ahead for April 7 can land on bare branches.
Yokohama's records show April as wetter than March, and a spring front can wash out a whole hanami weekend at Sankeien or Nogeyama Park.
Once Golden Week begins, hotel rates climb and crowds build in Chinatown, Minato Mirai, and on the Enoden line out of Kamakura.
Hinoki cypress pollen usually peaks across the Kanto region in April, hitting allergy sufferers hard on dry, windy days.

Best for

Think twice if

Weather measured 19° / 11°C 172mm rain · 12 rainy days · 73% humidity rains perceptibly ~2.5h/day · 83% of mornings dry

Crowds high

Pack Layers for 10-degree swings between morning and afternoon. Pack a long-sleeve shirt, a light sweater or fleece, and a packable windproof jacket for evenings on the waterfront, then add a compact umbrella and quick-dry sneakers for the gravel paths at Sankeien after rain.

April in Yokohama sits between the dry winter and the June rainy season, with rainfall averaging 172mm (6.8 inches), up from 155mm in March and below the 205mm that May tends to bring. Humidity averages 73%, so the air feels fresh rather than sticky. Wind off the bay at Osanbashi Pier makes evenings feel colder than the thermometer says, and the occasional warm day still surprises locals.

Year-round climate

Averages from the last 5 years.

Monthly climate averages for Yokohama
Month	Avg high (°C)	Avg low (°C)	Rainfall (mm)
Jan	10	1	38
Feb	11	2	63
Mar	15	6	155
Apr	19	11	172
May	22	15	205
Jun	26	19	185
Jul	31	24	159
Aug	32	25	143
Sep	28	22	196
Oct	22	15	147
Nov	17	10	81
Dec	12	4	54

Holidays and festivals in April

Public holidays

Shōwa Day(昭和の日)29 April 2027

Headline events

Nationwide Free

Cherry Blossom Season (Sakura)

Late March to about April 10, with full bloom usually in the first days of April

Hanami is the reason most spring trips to Kanagawa happen. Locals spread blue tarps under the trees at Kamonyama Park, Nogeyama Park and Negishi Forest Park and bring beer, bento and portable speakers. In Yokohama, the Ooka River canal and the Sankeien pond are the two defining images of the season. Petals drift onto the water and pile up against the bridges.

#sakura

Best things to do in April

Night walk along the Ooka River

seasonal nature

Follow the canal through Minami ward, where lanterns hang in the branches and the trees are lit after dark. Food stalls selling yakitori and amazake line the stretch near Hinodecho and Koganecho stations on the Keikyu line.

The trees here bloom for roughly 10 days, and in most years that window falls across late March and the first week of April.

Booking tipGo on a weekday after 7pm. Weekend evenings at the Sakuragicho end get crowded enough for police to direct foot traffic.

Sankeien garden in spring

garden

Silk merchant Hara Sankei opened this garden in Honmoku in 1906 and filled it with historic buildings moved from Kyoto and Kamakura. Cherries ring the main pond below the Tomyoji three-storied pagoda.

Blossoms frame the pagoda in early April, and the garden sometimes holds evening illuminations during bloom.

Booking tipArrive at the 9am opening. Last entry is usually 4:30pm, and weekend lines at the main gate can reach 30 minutes by 11am.

Tulip beds at Yokohama Park

garden

The flat park beside Yokohama Stadium in Kannai fills with a grid of red, yellow and purple tulips as part of the Garden Necklace Yokohama program, and in the morning you'll catch the smell of fresh-turned soil near the beds.

The tulips peak after the cherries have gone, which makes this the flower stop for visitors who arrive mid-month.

Booking tipNo booking needed. Early morning light before 9am means you beat the crowds of office workers who fill the park at lunch.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars home game

sports

Watch Central League baseball at Yokohama Stadium, which opened in 1977. Fans in blue sing organized chants for every batter, and beer vendors carry kegs on their backs up the steps.

The season is brand new in April, and evening games are still cool enough for a light jacket, not the sweaty business they become once summer humidity arrives.

Booking tipWeekend games sell out regularly, so buy through the team's official ticketing as soon as sales open, which is usually several weeks ahead.

Kamakura day trip for the spring festival

day trip

Ride the JR Yokosuka Line about 25 minutes from Yokohama Station to Kamakura for Tsurugaoka Hachimangu's spring festival, which pairs a classical dance performance with yabusame, archery on horseback.

The festival and its mounted archery fall in mid-April, and the shrine approach at Dankazura, its cherries already gone, is fresh and green.

Booking tipGet there by 11am to claim a spot along the yabusame track. There are no seats; you'll watch from the trackside on your feet.

Kanazawa Bunko and Shomyoji temple

history

Kanazawa Bunko began in 1275 as a library of the Hojo clan and today serves as a prefectural museum of medieval art, connected by tunnel to Shomyoji, whose pond garden has two red bridges.

In early April, the cherry trees around the Shomyoji pond cast their reflections into the water, and you'll share the view with a fraction of the crowds that gather at the central Yokohama spots.

Booking tipTake the Keikyu line to Kanazawa-bunko station, and check the museum schedule before you go: it closes between exhibitions.

What to eat in April

In season: fruit

Miura strawberries
Farms on the Miura Peninsula, about an hour south of Yokohama by Keikyu train, still run strawberry picking in April before the season closes in May.

On menus now

Nama-shirasu (raw whitebait)
Fishing off the Shonan coast pauses from January 1 and resumes around March 11, which makes April prime for the translucent raw fish over rice in Kamakura and Enoshima. It tastes faintly of seawater and is gone by lunch on bad-catch days.
Hatsu-gatsuo (first bonito)
The first skipjack tuna of the year arrives in late April. The Edo-era poet Yamaguchi Sodo is said to have written his haiku pairing young leaves with first bonito in Kamakura, and seared tataki with ginger and garlic is how we'd order it.

In markets

Takenoko (bamboo shoots)
Spring bamboo shoots dug from Kanagawa hillsides appear in April, and the izakaya in Noge put them to work as takenoko gohan, grilled with miso, or simmered with wakame.

Festival food

Sakura mochi
Pink rice cakes wrapped in salted cherry leaves fill Japanese sweet shops in Motomachi and around Yokohama Station. The leaf brings a salty, almond-like note that disappears from shelves once the season ends.

Regular events in April

Ooka River Sakura Festival (Ookagawa Sakura Matsuri)Free

A neighborhood festival with lanterns, food stalls and evening lighting along the Ooka River in Minami ward.

Late March to early April, timed to the bloom

Garden Necklace YokohamaFree

A citywide spring flower program with tulip plantings at Yokohama Park and displays around Minato Mirai and Yamashita Park.

Late March through early June, with tulips peaking mid-April

Kamakura Festival (Kamakura Matsuri)Free

A week of events at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, including the Shizuka no Mai dance and yabusame archery on horseback.

From the second Sunday of April to the third Sunday, with yabusame on the final Sunday

Yokohama DeNA BayStars home season

Central League professional baseball at Yokohama Stadium in Kannai, with regular April weekend and evening home games.

Home stands run through April

Best places this April

Sankeien
garden
Honmoku's landscape garden, where the old farmhouses and the pagoda look their best surrounded by cherries.
Honmoku
Ooka River Promenade
riverside walk
A canal walk with cherry trees on both banks, best at dusk when the lanterns come on.
Minami
Nogeyama Park and Nogeyama Zoo
park
A hilltop park above Sakuragicho with hanami lawns, where the zoo opened in 1951 and admission is free. After dark, walk downhill into Noge's izakaya alleys.
Noge
Negishi Forest Park
park
Wide lawns on the site of Japan's first Western-style racecourse, from 1866, where the ruined grandstand still stands at the edge and the hanami is roomier than anywhere in central Yokohama.
Negishi
Kamonyama Park
park
A small hill park near Sakuragicho with a statue of Ii Naosuke, where office groups gather after work for a quick hanami.
Sakuragicho
Yamashita Park and Yokohama Marine Tower
waterfront
The waterfront park faces the bay, and the 1961 tower across the road gives a 360-degree view of the spring haze over Tokyo Bay.
Yamashita-cho
Yamate (The Bluff)
historic district
The old foreign settlement on the hill above Motomachi, with Western houses, cemetery cherries and the Sacred Heart Cathedral, built in 1933.
Yamate
Yokohama Archives of History
museum
The Kannai museum opened in 1981 and covers the city's port-opening history, making it a solid dry option when an April front stalls over the city.
Kannai

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Compact folding umbrellaApril rain comes in fronts that can last a full day, and the clear umbrellas sold at convenience stores snap in wind off the harbor. Shop
Packable windproof jacketThe waterfront between Osanbashi Pier and the Red Brick Warehouse gets gusty after sunset, even on warm days. Shop
Picnic sheet (leisure sheet)Hanami means sitting on the ground at Nogeyama or Negishi, and stores near the parks often sell out of sheets on the first bloom Saturday. Shop
Light fleece or sweaterEvening hanami parties get cold quickly once the sun drops, and people sit for hours. Shop
Antihistamines and a face maskHinoki cypress pollen peaks in April across Kanto, and many locals wear masks for this reason rather than for illness. Shop
Quick-dry or water-resistant sneakersGravel paths at Sankeien and Shomyoji turn muddy after rain, and wet canvas stays damp in 73% humidity. Shop
Small trash bagPublic bins are rare in Japan, and park rules at hanami spots expect you to carry out your cans and wrappers. Shop
SunscreenUV levels in April rise faster than the temperature does, and hours on an open lawn in Yamashita Park can burn you without feeling hot. Shop

Insider tips

Watch the bloom announcement for the specimen tree at the Yokohama Local Meteorological Observatory in Yamate, because full bloom across the city usually follows about a week after that tree opens.
At Negishi Forest Park, families claim the lawns near the old grandstand by 10am on bloom weekends, while the slopes farther from the entrance usually still have space at noon.
After an evening at Nogeyama Park, walk 10 minutes downhill to Noge, where the tiny standing bars fill with hanami groups and seasonal takenoko dishes show up on chalkboard menus.
Shomyoji in Kanazawa-ku blooms on roughly the same schedule as central Yokohama but draws a fraction of the Ooka River crowd, and it pairs well with a morning at the Kanazawa Bunko museum.
Fresh nama-shirasu often sells out early, so in Kamakura eat it at lunch rather than dinner, and skip it on stormy days when the boats stay in.

Avoid these mistakes

Booking a non-refundable trip for a fixed bloom date months out. Keep your first week flexible, or pick the mid-April tulips instead.
Planning a Kamakura day trip after April 28: holiday crowds mean standing on the Enoden and waiting in queues at the Great Buddha in Hase.
Arriving at Sankeien late in the afternoon on a bloom weekend is a gamble, since entry usually closes at 4:30pm and the pagoda views are at their best well before the midday crowds build.
Step out on a cloudy morning without an umbrella and you may regret it. Spring fronts over Kanagawa can turn a gray sky into steady rain within an hour.

Practical tips for April

Book central hotels near Sakuragicho, Kannai or Yokohama Station at least a month ahead for the first week of April, and earlier still if your dates run into the holiday week at the end of the month. Tipping is not expected anywhere in Yokohama. Hanami etiquette matters: claim ground with a sheet rather than tape or stakes, keep music low, and take all trash with you when you leave. Some parks ban open flames and barbecue grills, so check the posted rules before you set up. Museums such as Kanazawa Bunko close between exhibitions, so confirm dates before you travel. Wikivoyage covers transit into the city at https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yokohama#Get_in and local lines at https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yokohama#Get_around.

FAQ

Is April a good time to visit Yokohama?

Yes, and April probably ranks as the third-best month of the year, behind the drier stretches of late autumn and early May. The first days of April bring cherry blossoms, mid-month has tulips and calmer streets, and the main drawbacks are rain and holiday crowds at the very end of the month.

When do cherry blossoms bloom in Yokohama?

Full bloom usually lands in the last days of March or the first days of April, and the trees along the Ooka River and in Sankeien tend to hold their flowers for about 10 days, depending on wind and rain.

What is the weather like in Yokohama in April?

April is mild and changeable: pleasant for walking by day, cool enough for a jacket in the evenings, and wet on about a dozen days. Bring layers and an umbrella rather than heavy winter clothing.

Is Yokohama crowded in April?

Crowds are heavy on bloom weekends at the Ooka River, Sankeien and Nogeyama Park, and again once Golden Week starts. Weekdays from roughly April 8 to April 25 are noticeably calmer, and you can often walk into restaurants in Chinatown and Motomachi without a wait.