Chidorigafuchi Park (Tokyo), Gion Old Town (Kyoto), the foothills of Mount Fuji... are cherry blossom viewing spots that hold tourists back in Japan.
Gion Old Town, Kyoto: Walking through the alleys of Gion old town, tinged with time between cherry blossom season, is the choice of many tourists when coming to the ancient capital of Kyoto. In the Shirakawa area of the neighborhood, you can listen to the flowing water of the peaceful Shirakawa River. Along the road are about 40 cherry blossom trees Somei Yoshino, Yadare-zakura, Yama-zakura... creating a typical scene of Kyoto at the time when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.
Nara Park, Nara Province: Nara Park is more than 600 hectares wide, located at the foot of Mount Wakakusa is a large architectural landscape complex with ancient temples, large lakes and green grass stretching throughout the campus. This is home to more than 1,000 deer, symbolizing the "messenger of the gods" in Shinto Japan. Visiting the park in spring, you can see cute and friendly deer grazing next to nearly 2,000 blooming cherry trees.
Chidorigafuchi Canal, Tokyo: The end of March and the beginning of April every year is the time when cherry blossoms bloom on the banks of the Chidorigafuchi Canal. A 20-minute walk from Tokyo Station or just a 5-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Kudanshita Station, you will stand in the middle of a cherry blossom forest with 260 large trees, many old trees with wide canopy, flowers blooming in every corner of the sky. A favorite activity here is walking among the flower paths or getting on a boat down the canal to watch each petal float on the clear blue water.
The area at the foot of Mount Fuji: If you want to get the most beautiful Japanese pictures, you can take pictures with Mount Fuji in the spring. A compact frame of both the majestic Mount Fuji and the cherry blossoms gives you many impressive photos. The area at the foot of Mount Fuji is very large, so it will give you many options. It could be Yamanashi province with its romantic Oshino Hakkai ancient village, or Shizuoka province with its immense tea fields.
Nishihirabatake Park, Kanagawa Prefecture: From Tokyo, you can easily move to Kanagawa to attend the cherry blossom festival held at Nishihirabatake Park. This festival usually takes place in mid-February, much earlier than other cherry blossom festivals in the vicinity of Tokyo. The southern slope of Mount Matsuda within the park grounds is full of life with the deep pinks of 360 Kawazu-sakura cherry trees and the bright yellows of canola flowers. Many people living and working in Tokyo come here on weekends to enjoy the fresh air of the suburbs in late winter and early spring.
Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture: To Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture in the Chugoku region located in the south of Japan, you have the opportunity to admire the Daigo-Zakura giant cherry tree about 1,000 years old. The tree is 18 meters tall with a 20 meter wide canopy radiating in four directions. The tree is named after Emperor Daigo because this Emperor used to visit and enjoy its beauty. Every year, from early to mid-April is the right time for visitors to see this cherry tree in full bloom amidst the peaceful scenery of the mountain village.
Matsumoto Castle, Nagano Prefecture: As a historical symbol of the city, Matsumoto Castle is not only familiar to locals, but also visited by many foreign tourists when coming to Nagano. There are about 300 Yoshino and Shidare-zakura cherry blossom trees in Matsumoto castle park. In spring, the castle is adorned with cherry blossoms, creating a typical Japanese scene.
Goryokaku Fortress, Hokkaido: This is one of the favorite places to see cherry blossoms from above when coming to Hokkaido in late April and early May. In spring, Goryokaku is also known as "flower fortress" Cherry". When standing at the observation deck of the 107-meter-high Goryokaku fortress tower, visitors can fully watch 1,600 cherry trees with varieties such as Someiyoshino and Yaezasaku blooming around the grounds. At night, the fortress becomes a brightly lit cherry blossom star.
Kawazu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture: This is one of the places with the earliest cherry blossoms in Japan. In February, when the weather is still cold in Japan, the cherry trees that run along the riverside of Kawazu town begin to bloom. Although blooming early, the Kawazu-zakura cherry blossoms bloom very slowly as if to give people more time to admire their beauty. The annual cherry blossom festival held in the town usually attracts more than 1 million visitors to see the flowers and participate in side events.
Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture In addition to the above points, it is impossible not to mention Toyota city, which is famous for the four seasons of Shikizakura cherry which bloom twice a year, in autumn and spring. In addition to viewing the spring cherry blossoms, from mid-November to early December, visitors will be able to admire the cherry trees blooming among the red autumn foliage. If you have the opportunity, do not miss this unique scene.
