Sakura Festival to take place in Shinjuku's "warehouse" restaurant street

A green Uber Eats deliver robot in Osaka

The Hobo Shinjuku Norengai Warehouse Annex will host its annual “Sakura Festival” for the second consecutive year.

From Wednesday, March 12th the festival will transform the venue with extensive cherry blossom decorations being installed in the entrance, interior spaces, and terrace seating areas for a period of approximately one month.

Hobo Shinjuku Norengai is celebrating its 8th anniversary this month and the “Sakura Festival” is a big part of the anniversary celebrations, offering a seasonally themed experience for visitors.

The sakura festival has returned after a successful first year

The festival’s design incorporates artificial cherry blossoms to simulate the experience of hanami, the traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the transient beauty of cherry blossoms.

While meteorological forecasts for Tokyo predict the natural cherry blossoms to begin blooming around March 22nd and reach full bloom around March 28th, the Hobo Shinjuku Norengai Warehouse Annex will offer an early opportunity to experience the visual spectacle of cherry blossoms.

The venue has been transformed with sakura decorations

The venue’s walkways and terrace areas will be adorned with cherry blossom decorations, creating an attractive and festive environment while the terrace seating areas will feature overhead cherry blossom displays.

A protective roof over the terrace seating ensures that visitors can enjoy the cherry blossom ambiance regardless of weather conditions.

There will also be illuminated cherry blossom displays during the evenings.

Dining areas will be lit up during evenings

The Hobo Shinjuku Norengai project originated in March 2017, with the renovation of 10 traditional houses to create a unique dining destination.

The Warehouse Annex was subsequently opened in January 2022, expanding the venue’s offerings and has been recognized as Japan’s first “warehouse alley” style dining and retail area.

A wide range of restaurants can be found in the warehouse annex

The Hobo Shinjuku Norengai Warehouse Annex aims to provide a respite from the urban environment in the surrounding Shinjuku and Yoyogi districts, offering a relaxing retro space inspired by a bygone era.