Japan - April or May

I am considering a 10-12 day Japan trip in April or May. I plan to go
to Tokyo, day trip to Nikko and maybe Nagano, then take the train down
to Kyoto. From there I plan to fly out of Kansai Intl to Hong Kong,
then possibly do a few days in Hanoi.

I assume it would be dumb to go to Japan during Golden Week, but
wondering if I should also avoid the days preceding and following this
time?

I want to see cherry blossoms if possible, avoid crowds, and avoid hot
weather. Is there a 2 week sweet spot somehwere in April or May?

Thanks,
Doug

"Doug Pearl" wrote in message
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I am considering a 10-12 day Japan trip in April or May. I plan to go
to Tokyo, day trip to Nikko and maybe Nagano, then take the train down
to Kyoto. From there I plan to fly out of Kansai Intl to Hong Kong,
then possibly do a few days in Hanoi.

I assume it would be dumb to go to Japan during Golden Week, but
wondering if I should also avoid the days preceding and following this
time?

I want to see cherry blossoms if possible, avoid crowds, and avoid hot
weather. Is there a 2 week sweet spot somehwere in April or May?

Before 28 April or after 5th May will give you nice time for travel without
seething crowds, though it will still be busy with ubiquitous school groups
and bus tours. Predicting the cherry blossom season each year is difficult,
as it varies. For Tokyo area, it's usually from late March to early April.
With recent trends for mild winter and early spring, I'd be inclined for the
earlier dates. Though I once had a temperature of 30C (86F) in May in Tokyo,
the usual daily high is around 18-23C (around 70F) - very pleasant.

Alec