These Webcams Let You View Cherry Blossoms Around the World

When you think of cherry blossoms in Tokyo, you've likely seen this scene, an umbrella of pink draping over the moat below. That's Kitanomaru Park, a popular public green space directly north of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. In the fall, it's a display of red and orange, and in the spring, it becomes a sea of pink, attracting tourists from around the world to take pictures either from the land or from a rowboat in the moat. And while the Chiyoda Cherry Blossom Festival is canceled for 2020, this webcam has been set up for you to view the show from home.

The University of Washington Campus is one of the best places in Seattle to view cherry blossoms, and although the campus is home to several types of cherry trees, you'll find the most gorgeous blooms coming from the 29 Yoshino trees on the quad, which are about 87 years old. The blooms typically last for two to three weeks, and you can keep an eye on their lifespan on the university's live webcam.

Known as the Cherry Blossom Capital of the World, Macon, Georgia, boasts 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees (more than 90 times the number in Washington, D.C.), and every year, it hosts the the 10-day International Cherry Blossom Festival. The festival is canceled for 2020, but you can view these blossoms from home through this live webcam in the city. As of writing, the blooms were in early stages, so tune in to catch them at their peak soon!

The city, and particularly the campus of Wuhan University, are usually annual hot spots for tourists looking to spot cherry blossoms. While it's not possible to visit them in person now, webcams have been set up at scenic points around campus for people to tune in from home from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through March 25.

Probably one of the most popular spots in the U.S. (and the world) to see cherry blossoms, the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., is home to about 3,700 trees, a gift from Japan in 1912. The Cherry Blossom Watch site posts daily updates of the blooms as they progress from green buds, through stages of visible florets and puffy white petals, finally reaching peak bloom. And with this webcam embedded in the top of the Washington Monument, you can not only get a glimpse of the trees off to the left, but you can also get a panoramic view of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and the Reflecting Pool.

Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey puts on a spectacular show of pink in the spring when its more than 5,000 trees reach full bloom. In 1927, Caroline Bamberger Fuld, sister of Louis Bamberger (founder of the former Bamberber's department store) donated 2,000 trees, and now there are more than double that amount in 14 different varieties spread across the 360-acre park. As of writing, they're just starting to bloom, so you can watch them progress over the next few weeks!