WHERE TO SEE AMAZING CHERRY BLOSSOM IN JAPAN
Japan is well-known for its cherry trees in bloom. All across the world, people are quite interested in these trees. Such different locales as Washington, Vancouver, Paris, Stockholm, and Spain's Jerte Valley all have cherry blossom celebrations. However, Japan continues to be the world's best place to see cherry blossoms or go to a cherry blossom festival.
Both locals and visitors to Japan attend festivals and partake in hanami, or picnics under cherry trees, during the height of the flowering season.
Photo by JJ Ying
Meaning of the Japanese cherry blossom
Sakura, or cherry blossoms, have a rich history and symbolic significance. It is the theme of several Japanese folk songs, including "Sakura, Sakura," and shares the name of Japan's national flower. It also appears on Japanese coinage. The Buddhist religion has a significant impact on the meaning of Japanese cherry blossoms, which may be interpreted as a metaphor for both the beauty and shortness of life as well as its ephemerality.
Hirosaki Castle Park (Hirosaki)
Photo by Kazuo Ota
Hirosaki Park is one of the greatest places in the nation to see cherry blossoms, with 2,600 blossoming cherry trees. Each spring, more than a million people pour through its doors.
The four hundred-year-old Hirosaki Castle also contributes to this place's singularity. Renting boats allows visitors to glide over fallen flowers in the moat of the castle. A quick bus trip will get you to Hirosaki Park from JR Lines Hirosaki Station.
Shinjuku Gyoen (Tokyo)
Photo by Redd F
This park has more than a thousand cherry trees and lovely meadows. Due to the presence of both late and early flowering trees, the region is distinctive. Due of this, it is a popular destination for tourists that arrive a week early or late for the major sakura-matsuri event.
Tokyo's skyscrapers, which are centrally located in the metropolis, stand in stark contrast to the park's serene natural environs. Only 10 minutes of walking separate Shinjuku Gyoen from Shinjuku Station, one of the core Tokyo railway stations on the Yamanote line. During the validity of their JR Pass, holders of Yamanote line passes are free to board any train.
Mitsuike Koen (Yokohama)
Photo by Jonathan Kim
One of Japan's "100 Best Cherry Blossom Spots" is Yokohama's, Mitsuike Park. Three ponds and more than a thousand cherry trees may be found there. The entrance fee to this park is free. You may board City Bus Number 104 using your Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) from either Shin-Yokohama Station or Tsurumi Station.
Okayama Korakuen Garden (Okayama)
Photo by Narubono
One of the top three landscape gardens in the nation is Korakuen, which is extremely exquisite. The Shogun established the park in the 17th century to host important visitors, but after the Meiji restoration in the 1880s, it was turned over to the government. The adjacent Okayama Castle, commonly referred to as "crow castle," was built in the sixteenth century, although many of its components have been rebuilt over time. Between the two locations, there are a total of 500 cherry trees.
From Okayama Station, it takes 30 minutes to walk the 1.5 kilometres to Okayama Korakuen Garden. You may take a tram on the Higashiyama line and get out at Shiroshita, which is only a 15-minute walk away, to get there with your JR Pass.