Cherry blossom dress
What to Wear for Cherry blossom dress in Japan
What to Wear During Sakura Season: The Ultimate Guide
Cherry blossom season in Japan is the most popular time for tourists and locals to travel around Japan in search of these beautiful pink flowers. From Kyoto to Tokyo, Japan wakes up in early spring (usually between late March and early April) and the flowers and festivals come out. Now is the time to think about what to wear for cherry blossom photos in Japan!
What to Wear to the Cherry Blossom Festival?
Many people wear a traditional outfit like a kimono during Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season.
This is a warmer alternative to the yukata, which is light and airy for summer festivals. A light pastel floral kimono layered with thermal underwear underneath is a great option if you know how to wear one or can find a rental that suits you.
What You’ll Find Here
For any other outfits, I’m your girl.
If you’re wondering what to wear during sakura season, your first attempt might be to break out that pink summer dress. Stop! It’s important to know that temperatures range from 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) at night to 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day. That’s not exactly hot! That’s why I’ve put together some of my recommendations to help you dress warmly while you’re out and about all day taking fun photos.
Here you can see a woman wearing a pink bow and floral dress for the blog “What to Wear for Cherry Blossom Photos in Japan.”
Accessorize with pink ribbons!
What to wear for Cherry blossom dress in Japan
Hat, scarves, and gloves:
For a cute cherry blossom outfit, I’d go for a straw hat if it’s a sunny day, or a fluffy pastel pink beret to keep your head warm on a cloudy day.
When you’re out and about, you probably won’t need a scarf or gloves. I highly recommend packing these items in your bag when hosting a hanami (picnic). Sitting will make you cold faster than walking around. If you want to celebrate with a drink or two, maybe stay outside after sunset and a scarf and hat to keep you warm!
You should definitely bring a jacket! I highly recommend a lined denim jacket, teddy jacket, or trench coat. If you have one of these in a light color, they will work perfectly in photos and keep you warm too. My personal favorite is a thick cardigan in a light pastel color because it goes perfectly with a chiffon dress.
If you are thinking of wearing a one-piece swimsuit or dress, I highly recommend a chiffon, floral maxi, or midi dress because these work great in photos because the more flowy your dress is, the better it will look from the picture! Again,
if you are thinking of doing Hanami,
make sure you wear pants or a long skirt, since you will often be sitting on the floor.
If you’re not a big fan of elegant dresses, try light jeans or pants paired with a delicate floral top. On a cooler day, a pastel sweater with Uniqlo Heattech Thermals will work wonders!
I highly recommend wearing a pair of pastel or white tennis shoes as they are comfortable for walking and will be a great addition to your cherry blossom outfit. Your other option is a pair of white sneakers. Both options also look great with lace or floral socks for a more feminine look!
You can of course opt for a pair of pumps if you want to dress more formally, but with all the steps you’ll be taking and the fact that many cherry blossom viewing locations are parks, this means you may be on grass. You’ll probably wear flat shoes. Also, due to the temperature, you shouldn’t wear sandals or open-toed shoes.
Here you can see a woman wearing a pastel pink midi skirt and a pink faux suede jacket with a dark pink cherry blossom beret.
Keep your head warm on those colder days with a pink beret!
What to wear in Japan in spring: my recommendations for cherry blossom outfits
Please note: I try to stick to sustainable and vegan materials, but please read the material description for each item before deciding for yourself if it’s right for you.
The best places to book your trip
Did you like this post? By booking through these links, you can support me at no extra cost.
🖤Book a hotel with Booking.com (this is my favorite hotel booking site)
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🖤Book experiences with Viator.com
🖤Book experiences with GetYourGuide.com
🖤Book a car with Rentalcars.com
🖤Book lounge access for your airport with Priority Pass (I’m an airport lounge girl)
🖤Find a place to leave your storage with Radical Storage
THE VERDICT
What color should you wear for the cherry blossoms?
The best options are light pastel colors that highlight you and the cherry blossoms! I highly recommend shades of pink, white, beige, lavender, green, and blue. Avoid black and other dark colors as they create strong contrast.
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Cherry Blossoms and Monochrome Maxi Dress
There’s something undeniably beautiful about falling cherry blossoms;
they’re almost more beautiful on the ground than on the tree. I remember in college we learned about the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, how it is the national flower and symbolizes mortality. Cherry blossoms, or sakura as they are called in Japan, are often seen as the circle of life and without going too deep into contributing to today’s outfit, they are actually too beautiful to ignore.
I can’t say I planned my monochrome outfit to match the cherry blossoms, but I have to admit that it works pretty well… Kind of! Black is not ideal for spring, so I chose subtle monochrome patterns for this work outfit. This solid color maxi dress was from Matalan a few years ago and I liked the shape so much that I bought it in blue as well.
It’s often hard to find a maxi dress that isn’t just shoulders and bust (which is a bit inappropriate for the office), and I love how this dress covers me completely but still gives me some collarbone and waist, which you can see a little shape.
Coincidentally,
my accessories matched up really well. I use this Marc B Chrissy bag to work every day because it’s so big and practical, and even though I’ve been using it every day for 4 months,
I still get compliments on my “new bag” because it comes in such great condition! Same goes for my beautiful Rocket Dog Chevron sandals – they’re super comfortable as always, but you could easily mistake them for a designer pair. Plus, the pattern goes SO well with the maxi dress…
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