Here are the most affordable places to catch Japan’s Sakura blossoms

Tired of friends boasting about their upcoming trip to Japan to catch the cherry blossom blooms? Skyscanner has revealed that it may in fact be friendlier on your wallet to make a booking last-minute and revel in the spring festivities at lesser-known Japanese cities.

By avoiding Tokyo, the travel search engine has found that you can have savings amounting to as much as 48 percent when heading to the historic city of Hiroshima, based on last-minute booking data gathered in March 2016. Compared to flying to the capital city, travellers to Osaka, Sapporo and Kagoshima can also save up to three, nine and 25 percent respectively.

To see the exact savings breakdown for each locale, check out the cherry blossom map created by the team at Skyscanner here.

Travelling to these places to catch the Sakura trees in their bestest is not only more affordable but allows you to avoid the crowds as well, who will undoubtedly be finding their way to the tourist hub of Tokyo.