Animal Crossing and the Kawaii Cherry Blossom Season

The arrival of spring can mean the arrival of a number of things, warmer weather, rain, flowers, and even things like allergies. In Japan it means the arrival of one of the most anticipated times of the year, the sakura season (cherry blossom).

Sad that you are not in Japan and missing the blooming sakura? Worry not, our favorite island paradise simulator has you covered. Animal Crossing New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch has cherry blossoms for you to enjoy anywhere in the world. And these flowers are always in full bloom and won’t trigger any of your allergies!

Of course they only mirror the actual timeline of cherry blossoms in Japan if you set your ingame location to the northern hemisphere, where they will bloom from April 1st to April 10th. But also this season can be achieved any time of the year with a little time traveling magic, don’t worry we won’t shame.

However, for a guilt free, year round cherry blossom experience you can also purchase the Happy Home Paradise DLC. As a vacation home planner in Happy Home Paradise you can set the season around individual vacation homes for passing characters or even your island residents.

Cherry Blossom Petals

One of the most obvious changes that occur during the cherry blossom season in the game is the blossom petals. Just like in real life the trees on your island will change color to a beautiful white/light pink color. Unlike real life though, all of your fruit trees can turn into cherry blossom trees…not just the cherry trees.

The wind will also blow blossom petals around in the air. Some of these petals are even catchable! Equip your net and swing at the larger petals to try and catch and store them. Don’t swing too much though, too much extra swinging wind will blow them away. 

Want to get your hands on kawaii anime and game merch from Japan? Check out YumeTwins, the kawaii subscription box that delivers high quality and branded kawaii goods right to your door!

Cherry Blossom DIY

If you collect enough blossom petals you can use them as materials for cherry blossom diy projects. Of course the downside being that you can only get the recipes for these DIYs by shooting down special non Bunny Day balloons.

Pro tip: find out which direction your balloons are traveling across your island, then camp out on the beach to spot them as they blow in. Balloons will spawn every 5 minutes, so make sure you keep your eyes and ears open.

Once you shoot down the right balloon you are all set to start crafting diys for your cherry blossom island. For decorating the outdoors, you have the chance of getting the diy recipe for a cherry blossom lantern, a cherry blossom pond stone, and a hanami outdoor picnic set. For an interactive diy you can get a pile of cherry blossom petals to place around your island. They look great at the base of your blooming trees, and toss petals in the air when you walk through them!

For items that can help bring the cherry blossoms indoors you can get a small cherry blossom bonsai tree, and larger cherry blossom branches diy. If that is not enough of an immersive cherry blossom experience in your home, you can also get the recipe for a cherry blossom forest wallpaper and a matching flooring as well. Want to dial it back a bit? There is also a recipe for a cherry blossom pink wood wallpaper and flooring.

Hanami

There are many other items in the game as well to help you set up the perfect hanami (flower viewing) spot on your island. Of course there are custom designs that you can get if you browse the designer app on your nook phone. Or if you are artistic yourself you could always take a crack at designing your own.

If you are new to the game or recently restarted your island, you will need to do a bit of ingame work to be able to unlock the Island Designer app in order to add personal designs and paths. To do this, make sure you pay off your loan to Tom Nook, unlock the museum, Residence Services, Nook’s Cranny, Able Sister’s shop, and get your island rating up to 3 stars.

Once all of that is done you can terraform to your heart’s content! Use gingham path designs for picnic blankets, or little petal designs to add even more cherry blossoms to your island. If you have craft ideas then all you need is patience. You can design almost anything. 

Got a villager who you think matches the sakura aesthetic the best? Wait for them to wander over to your hanami spot for the perfect photo op. Here are our top 10 cutest Animal Crossing characters, and honestly all of them look adorable in our hanami spots.

Kimono and Yukatas

In the Able Sister shop you can pick up a floral colored yukata (more casual kimono) or kimono and some wooden geta sandals for a more traditional look for cherry blossom photo shoots. Of course you can wear the kimonos and yukatas any time of the year, though the summer festival period might be the ingame event they were made for.

If these designs aren’t cute enough for you, check out the custom portal as well. There are many talented designers, but here are 5 Animal Crossing clothing creators that have caught our eye.

So if you are up for catching cherry blossom petals, shooting balloons, or putting down custom paths you might want to pick up a copy of Animal Crossing New Horizons. Or just dust off your copy that you haven’t touched in months, don’t think about how much your villagers have missed you, and have fun! 

What is your favorite seasonal event in Animal Crossing? Also, which season event do you wish they would add in future updates?