As sure a sign that spring is upon us as rows of daffodils in London's parks is the popping up of Japanese cherry blossom installations all over town to celebrate Sakura - the cherry blossom season. We've picked out some of the prettiest places putting on Sakura specials this year.

Enjoy a yakitori feast when you check out inamo's new menu with over 40 new dishes on it.

Gordon Ramsay's first new restaurant for years in London will be inspired by 1930s Tokyo drinking dens - it'll take over the spot where Maze was on Grosvenor Square.

This is a new grab and go Japanese curry spot, from the head chef behind Shoryu Ramen's curries. Expect their curry sauce to be at the centre of the menu with an array of toppings. 

Londoners do love an all-you-can-eat brunch and the new sushi one at Kaia at The Ned is a doozy.

Expect to see a modern take on Japanese and Italian food in this new Dalston restaurant which also sports a tiny Tokyo-style cocktail bar.

As if the King's Cross restaurant scene wasn't humming enough with the opening of Coal Drops Yard, the culinary buzz has spread to the station's environs. Following fast on the heels of Kaki's opening, comes a new pop-up restaurant and bar Tamashii.

What's particularly of note is the chap in the kitchen. Chef Wei has 35 years of experience under his belt, including time at Hakkasan and The Colony Club in Mayfair.

For this King's Cross popup, Wei's

Isn't it always the way. You wait for a matcha bar to open and two come along at once.

Already open is a popup matcha bar. OHH CHA BAR (pictured above) is currently serving up matcha and snacks at MUJI’s Tottenham Court Road store for two weeks.

Their menu features classic matcha blends, single cultivar selections as well as unusual loose leaf Japanese teas. And they'll be holding masterclasses so you can more easily whisk yourself up a cuppa at

He used to be the head chef at Restaurant Story and now Angelo Sato's gone in a very different direction with his own place Omoide. Expect the very best Japanese rice bowls.

If you’ve been lucky enough to travel around Japan by train you’ll almost certainly be familiar with the amazing bento boxes you can pick up at the stations. They're typically filled with rice, fish, pickles and other treats. Well now London's Japan Centre is saving you a journey by bringing them to London for the first time – but for one week only.

From 22 - 28 October the ‘ekiben’ (eki meaning station and bento meaning boxed lunch)

Over in Hackney Night Tales are getting ready to launch their first permanent restaurant. Fat Baby opened earlier in the summer with a street food menu. Since then they've installed a roof (complete with Northern Lights inspired illumination) and now have a full menu planned for the 42 seat spot.

In charge of things is Head Chef Greg Round (ex Umu, Bonhams and Quality Chop House). He'll be focusing his menu on the five main cooking techniques found in Japanese

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If you're a fan of Japanese food and drink, then we can't think of a better event to put in your diary than The Joy of Sake. For one evening only, London's Barbican Centre becomes a focus for beginners and enthusiasts alike to try a whopping 478 sakes from 192 breweries across Japan. And if that on its own isn't enough to get you booking, 14 top London restaurants are going to be there too, putting

Taking over three storeys on the King's Road, the Danish company's new sushi and yakitori sticks spot will feature a private dining room with a difference - you get your own chef, staff, music and even lift!

Backed by A-list sports people and entertainers, this new restaurant opening at the ME London hotel in Aldwych fuses Mediterranean and Japanese influences.

Covent Garden's Flesh & Buns is opening a second restaurant just north of Oxford Street and this one's going to be huge with more of a Peruvian Nikkei vibe going on as well as the old izakaya favourites.