Nakameguro and the Meguro River cherry blossoms

Nakameguro is 3 minutes from Shibuya on the Tokyu Toyoko Line, for ¥140. It is a small riverside neighbourhood in Meguro ward, and each spring it fills for the Meguro River cherry blossoms, about 800 trees along roughly 4 km of river in Meguro ward, usually at their best from late March to early April.

The rest of the year it is a quiet place to walk along the river, stop for coffee and browse small shops. It pairs well with Daikanyama, one stop closer to Shibuya.

Getting to Nakameguro from Shibuya

Route	Time	Cost
Tokyu Toyoko Line, Shibuya to Nakameguro	3 min (fastest), about 4 min by local	¥140 ticket or IC
Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line from Ebisu	2 min	¥178 IC / ¥180 ticket

Checked October 2026.

From Shibuya the Toyoko Line is the obvious choice. Nakameguro is 2.2 km down the line, with Daikanyama in between.

Meguro River cherry blossoms

When do they bloom?

Date	What
24 March	Normal first-bloom date for Tokyo (JMA)
31 March	Normal full-bloom date for Tokyo (JMA)
Late March to early April	Usual best viewing on the Meguro River (JR East)
19 and 28 March 2026	Tokyo’s first bloom and full bloom in 2026, both early

The Japan Meteorological Agency defines “flowering” as five or six open flowers on its sample tree and “full bloom” as 80 percent or more open. Peak dates can shift by about a week from year to year, so watch the JMA’s Tokyo reports in March.

How many trees?

JR East’s travel site counts about 800 trees along about 4 km of the river in Meguro ward, and about 700 more along about 3 km in Shinagawa ward further downstream. Most are Somei-Yoshino. Other sources give higher totals for the whole river; this guide uses the JR East figure. Meguro City has warned that ageing cherry trees across the ward are at risk of weakening and dropping branches, and has a programme to replace them.

Evening lights

During the season the trees are lit in the evening, usually from about 17:00 to 20:00 for around two weeks from Tokyo’s official flowering date, according to event listings, with lanterns along the banks. The Nakameguro Sakura Festival ran on 28 and 29 March in 2026. Dates for 2027 had not been announced when this was checked in October 2026.

Tips for sakura season

• Go on a weekday morning if you can, when the river paths are at their quietest.
• Take your rubbish home.
• For a picnic on grass, Yoyogi Park has more room.

A cherry blossom evening

1. Take the Toyoko Line from Shibuya to Nakameguro in the late afternoon.
2. Walk the river while it is still light; in Meguro ward alone the trees line about 4 km of it.
3. Stay for the lights from about 17:00.
4. Eat near the station or under the tracks at Nakameguro Koukashita, then take the train back to Shibuya.

For more on timing a spring trip, see best time to visit Tokyo.

Nakameguro the rest of the year

Without the blossoms, Nakameguro is a calm place for a walk along the Meguro River. Local guides point to small independent cafes, eateries and boutiques around the river and the station, and to the shops and restaurants under the elevated tracks, known as Nakameguro Koukashita.

The best-known building is the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo, which opened by the river in 2019. Its exterior was designed with Kengo Kuma, and the design takes its cue from the river’s cherry trees. It has four floors, with a tall copper-clad cask running through all of them, and when it opened it was reported as the largest Reserve Roastery in the world.

For green space, local guides suggest two spots nearby: Meguro Sky Garden upstream, a garden about 35 m above the street with city views, and Saigoyama Park.

Walk north to Daikanyama for Daikanyama T-Site and the Kyu Asakura House, or take the Hibiya Line one stop to Ebisu for dinner at Ebisu Yokocho.

Where to stay

No Nakameguro hotel was checked for this guide. The obvious bases are Shibuya, 3 minutes away, and Ebisu, one Hibiya Line stop, where The Westin Tokyo sits at Yebisu Garden Place. See Shibuya hotels for options. If Nakameguro Station is packed in blossom season, Daikanyama Station is about 550 m away in a straight line and makes an easy alternative.

Tours

No rated GetYourGuide tour visits Nakameguro or the Meguro River. If you want a guide for part of the day, the nearest options are back in Shibuya: the Tokyo: Shibuya Highlights Walking Tour & Secret View Spot, a 90-minute walk around Hachiko and the Crossing, or the Shibuya Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl Tour in the evening. Neither comes to Nakameguro.

Nearby

• Daikanyama: one stop towards Shibuya, close enough to walk.
• Ebisu: one Hibiya Line stop.
• Shibuya Crossing: 3 minutes back up the Toyoko Line.