29 February 2016 – Thanks to the sea of stunning pink shades that sweeps across the city, spring blossom season is traditionally one of the most popular times of the year to visit Japan's cultural capital Kyoto. This year, to help travellers enjoy the best of the season, Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau shares its tips on where UK visitors should visit to experience the very best of the season during a trip to the city.

Visitors can enjoy the season like a local, as when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, local city dwellers gather in parks in a Japanese tradition known as 'Hanami' or 'cherry-blossom viewing'. In the popular Maruyama Park, which is home to the famous weeping cherry tree, revellers enjoy delicious Japanese delicacies and traditional sake whilst singing local songs beneath the beautiful cherry blossoms.

Also for those looking to enjoy the blossom once the sun goes down, the Hirano-jinja Shrine features hundreds of cherry trees and is especially popular with visitors who gather there to enjoy the cherry blossoms with celebrations lasting late into the night.

The banks of the Kamo-gawa River, which runs through central Kyoto, are also beautifully decorated by the cherry blossoms, with Nakaragi-no-michi Street between Kitayama and Kita-oji being famous as they are often said to have the most beautiful blossoms in all of Kyoto. Other sites also worth visiting for their spring colours are Tetsugaku-no-michi Street and the area around Heian-jingu Shrine.

For more information on Kyoto, visit  kyoto.travel/en.

-ENDS-

Notes To Editors
Photo Captions (From Left to Right):
Image 1: Ninna-ji Temple during spring blossom season. Image courtesy of Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Image 2: Gion Shirakawa during spring blossom season. Image courtesy of Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Image 3: Kitano Tenmangu during spring blossom season. Image courtesy of Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau.

About KCVB
Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official partnership for international tourism representation of the City of Kyoto, Japan. Kyoto's diverse history and reputation as Japan's original capital and cultural centre provide a wealth of opportunities for tour operators and travel agents.  The city is home to the Imperial Palace whilst also being the only place where 'real' geishas can still be seen, its old temples and Zen gardens interspersed with urban living means that Kyoto is a striking contrast of heritage and modern city.  Its location just 25 minutes from Osaka and 2hrs 15 minutes from Tokyo, make it easily accessible from Japan's two main international gateways.

For more information or imagery, please contact:
McCluskey International
Fiona Anderson / Lauren Hill
T: 020 8747 2170
E: kyoto@mccluskey.co.uk