Okinawa, Japan - the beautiful and well-loved cherry blossoms are now in full bloom.
The country is home to over 100 types of cherry trees, and the most-awaited Cherry blossom season in Japan generally begins late March.
For those of you who can't wait to see Japan's National Flower, there's good news. Now you don't have to hang around too long to see the sweet colour of the beauties because the sakura (cherry blossom) trees can now be seen at Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture.
Okinawa is warmer than other places in Japan, so much so that the pretty sakura flowers are already appearing on the cherry trees as early as mid-January to mid-February.
The short season of blooming varies yearly, but despite this unpredictable schedule, families in Japan still go to "hanami" or flower viewing in Sakura festivals held all over Okinawa.
2014's cherry blossom blooming in Japan may be almost over, but don't fret, because there are still places in Japan where you can view the Sakura in all its pink glory.
Among these are the Manko Sakura Matsuri cherry blossom festival in Naha City, and the Naha Sakura Matsuri cherry blossom festival, also in the same city. The Manko Sakura Matsuri is set to happen on February 8 and 9, while the Naha Sakura Matsure festival is taking place from Febraury 12th to 16th in Yogi Park.
Naha City is Okinawa's capital and is considered the largest city in the prefecture. There are over 400 cherry blossom trees near the river, making the place perfect for vacationists or travellers who want a much subdued setting.
A round-trip flight from to Naha Airport costs around $800-$1,000.
For other details about these wonderful festivals, check out Okinawa's official tourism website here.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
