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Spring Exclusive! See Cherry Blossoms On These 7 Scenic Railway Lines Near Tokyo

Spring Exclusive! See Cherry Blossoms On These 7 Scenic Railway Lines Near Tokyo

Date published: 22 March 2022

Cherry blossom season is right around the corner! In Japan, there are many scenic spots where you can enjoy trains chugging alongside rows of beautiful cherry blossom trees.

This includes original Japanese landscapes with views of both cherry blossoms and canola flowers as well as more metropolitan landscapes such as Sumida River’s cherry blossoms against the backdrop of Tokyo Skytree®.

Not only for railway enthusiasts, spectacular views of trains and cherry blossoms are sure to move anyone and everyone! Why not enjoy these springtime flowers in a uniquely Japanese way?

Photo Courtesy of: Keihin Electric Express Railway

Table of Contents
  1. 1. Keikyu Line and Miura’s Kawazu Cherry Blossoms: Get an Early Start on Cherry Blossom Viewing!
  2. 2. Tobu Railway, Sumida River’s Cherry Blossom Trees, and Tokyo Skytree®: Enjoy Three Spectacular Views at Once!
  3. 3. The Keio Electric Railway and Cherry Blossoms: Enjoy Two Views from Inokashira-koen Station’s Platform
  4. 4. Cherry Blossoms Near Seibu Railway’s Araiyakushi-mae Station: Enjoy a Cherry Blossom-Pink Landscape!
  5. 5. Chichibu Railway’s SL Paleo Express Chugging Through Rows of Cherry Blossom Trees in Nagatoro: Don’t Miss Out on this Precious View!
  6. 6. Cherry Blossoms Along the Isumi Railway: Enjoy the Color Contrast Between a Bright Yellow Train and Pastel-Pink Cherry Blossoms
  7. 7. Superb Scenery on the Kominato Railway: Prepare to be in Awe of Yellow Carpeted Fields Accented with Pastel Pink Cherry Blossoms

1. Keikyu Line and Miura’s Kawazu Cherry Blossoms: Get an Early Start on Cherry Blossom Viewing!

Kawazu Cherry Blossoms blooming between Miurakaigan Station and Misakiguchi Station (Photo Courtesy of: Keihin Electric Express Railway)
Kawazu Cherry Blossoms blooming between Miurakaigan Station and Misakiguchi Station (Photo Courtesy of: Keihin Electric Express Railway)

Every year, from mid-February until early-March, Kawazu cherry blossoms bloom around Kanagawa Prefecture’s Miurakaigan Station.

From Tokyo Station, getting to this area takes around an hour and a half when using the Keikyu Line. Compared to other cherry blossom varieties, such as the Yoshino cherry, Kawazu blossoms are early bloomers with petals colored a deeper shade of pink.

Over 1,000 of these special cherry blossom trees can be found along the Keikyu Line’s tracks-stretching from Miurakaigan Station to Komatsugaike Park.

The Keikyu Line train’s bright red exterior against the backdrop of rosy pink Kawazu blossoms makes for perfectly-matched, vivid scenery. What’s more, if you want a view from the station, you can enjoy watching the Keikyu train cars go over an elevated railway surrounded by cherry blossoms.

Kawazu cherry blossoms nearby Miurakaigan Station (Photo Courtesy of: Keihin Electric Express Railway)
Kawazu cherry blossoms nearby Miurakaigan Station (Photo Courtesy of: Keihin Electric Express Railway)

In mid-February, you can also enjoy the annual Miura Kaigan Cherry Blossom Festival, held along the railway from Miurakaigan Station to Komatsugaike Park.

The festival keeps its visitors entertained by offering specialty products from Miura City, holding various events, and illuminating the surrounding cherry blossom trees at night.

  • Komatsugaike Park
    小松ヶ池公園
    • Address Minamishitauramachikamimiyada, Miura-shi, Kanagawa 238-0101

2. Tobu Railway, Sumida River’s Cherry Blossom Trees, and Tokyo Skytree®: Enjoy Three Spectacular Views at Once!

Photo courtesy of: Tobu Railway
Photo courtesy of: Tobu Railway

Asakusa Station can easily be accessed from Tokyo Station by taking both railway and subway lines for approximately 20 minutes. Next to the station is Sumida Park, a public park stretching alongside Asakusa’s Sumida River.

With many trees found on either side of the river’s bank, it’s a popular spot for cherry blossom viewing. The Sumida City side of the bank has approximately 343 cherry blossom trees, whereas the Taito City side of the bank boasts around 600 trees. Every year, from late-Match to early April, you can enjoy a kilometer-long stretch of cherry blossoms blooming on both sides.

Photo courtesy of: Tobu Railway
Photo courtesy of: Tobu Railway

In addition to this, Sumida Park offers rare and incredible scenery of the bank’s cherry blossoms, Tokyo Skytree®, and the Tobu Railway all at once! This precious view is only available in the spring, so we recommend snapping a photo from your favorite spot!

Also, the Sumida Park Cherry Blossom Festival is held (the 2022 event is cancelled) annually-with dates adjusted to fit the period the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Here you can enjoy food stalls, traditional Japanese drum performances, and lit up cherry blossom trees at night.


▼Check Out this Video▼

  • Sumida Park
    • Address Sumida-ku, Tokyo, 131-0033
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Asakusa Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line / Toei Asakusa Line / Tobu Isesaki Line (Tobu Sky Tree Line) / Tsukuba Express)
      5 minutes on foot

3. The Keio Electric Railway and Cherry Blossoms: Enjoy Two Views from Inokashira-koen Station’s Platform

Photo courtesy of: Keio Corporation
Photo courtesy of: Keio Corporation

Inokashira Park, famous for being one of the city’s best cherry blossom viewing spots, is a mere 30-minute train ride from Tokyo Station. Inside the park are over 400 cherry blossom trees, of which around 200 can be found coloring a pond's edges in pastel pink.

Many varieties of trees are scattered throughout the grounds, with the earliest of bloomers beginning to blossom in early March. Quickly following suit are Yoshino cherry trees, weeping cherry trees, and double-flowered cherry trees.

As Inokashira-koen Station can be found right next to Inokashira Park, you can enjoy views of both the train and cherry blossoms from the station’s platform. Even in a city like Tokyo, enjoying these flowers right before getting on or off a train is a very precious experience.

Photo courtesy of: Keio Corporation
Photo courtesy of: Keio Corporation

Another spot where you can enjoy blooming cherry blossoms and trains is between Mitakadai Station and Inokashira-koen Station on the Keio Line. We recommend getting on this line to enjoy cherry blossom viewing from the train’s window.

4. Cherry Blossoms Near Seibu Railway’s Araiyakushi-mae Station: Enjoy a Cherry Blossom-Pink Landscape!

Photo courtesy of: Seibu Railway
Photo courtesy of: Seibu Railway

Seibu Railway’s Araiyakushi-mae Station on the Shinjuku Line can be accessed by taking a 40-minute train ride from Tokyo Station.

In the springtime, the area around the station is completely covered in a blanket of cherry blossoms! Right next to the station, on Nakano-dori Street, are rows upon rows of cherry blossom trees.

Connecting Nakano Station’s North Exit to Tetsugaku-do Park, these trees span a whopping two kilometers. Such scenery of trains running through cherry blossom-filled areas can only be enjoyed in the springtime.

The contrast between the Seibu Railway’s bright yellow trains and pastel pink cherry blossoms will make you feel as though you’re watching a beautiful scene from an anime!

Photo courtesy of: Seibu Railway
Photo courtesy of: Seibu Railway

Nearby Araiyakushi-mae Station is Tetsugaku-do Park and Araiyakushi Park. In early April of each year, Araiyakushi Park serves as the main venue for the Naka Dori Cherry Blossom Festival (canceled in 2022).

This festival entertains its guests by offering various performances as well as illuminating the surrounding cherry blossom trees at night.

The best time to visit Araiyakushi-mae Station’s cherry blossoms is from late March to early April.

▼Check Out this Video▼

  • Araiyakushi Park
    新井薬師公園
    • Address 5-4, Arai, Nakano, Tokyo 165-0026

5. Chichibu Railway’s SL Paleo Express Chugging Through Rows of Cherry Blossom Trees in Nagatoro: Don’t Miss Out on this Precious View!

Scenery of the Area Between Nagatoro Station and Kami-Nagatoro station(Photo courtesy of: Chichibu Railway)
Scenery of the Area Between Nagatoro Station and Kami-Nagatoro station(Photo courtesy of: Chichibu Railway)

The town of Nagatoro in Saitama Prefecture’s Chichibu District is a two-hour train ride away from Tokyo Station. This area is so famous for its cherry blossoms, it was even selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossoms Sites.

With some 3,000 cherry blossom trees planted in the area, by late March, the town is covered in breathtakingly beautiful, natural scenery.

Out of the many sites to visit, a stand-out has to be the rows of cherry blossom trees found between Chichibu Railway’s Nagatoro Station and Kami-Nagatoro Station.

The charm of this colorful scenery is amplified and made even more valuable as Chichibu Railway’s steam locomotive, the SL Paleo Express, runs alongside the trees. Watching the steam rise as the train chugs along the tracks will transport you to Japan’s good old days!

Starting March 19, 2022, the locomotive will make round trips once a day during weekends and holidays.

Scenery Around Urayamaguchi Station(Photo courtesy of: Chichibu Railway)
Scenery Around Urayamaguchi Station(Photo courtesy of: Chichibu Railway)

Additionally, the Nagatoro Cherry Blossom Festival is held annually and lasts for a month starting late March (scheduled to be held from March 23 to May 8 in 2022).

With cherry blossoms being illuminated at night, you’ll be able to enjoy scenery that’s different from the norm!

Also, in addition to the Nagatoro area, the Chichibu Railway offers several different points where you can enjoy views of cherry blossoms and the SL Paleo Express together.

6. Cherry Blossoms Along the Isumi Railway: Enjoy the Color Contrast Between a Bright Yellow Train and Pastel-Pink Cherry Blossoms

Photo courtesy of: Manabu Kusahara
Photo courtesy of: Manabu Kusahara

Located an hour train ride away from Tokyo Station is Chiba Prefecture’s Isumi City. Here you’ll find the local train line known as the Isumi Railway.

This line connects the city’s Otaki Station with Kazusa-Nakano Station-located in Isumi District’s Otaki Town.

From Nittano Station, a train station located in Isumi’s center, you can enjoy a superb view of canola flowers fields, cherry blossoms, and Chichibu Railway’s train cars all at once! From yellows to pinks, the contrast in colors is like something from a painting. This is also a trendy spot among train lovers in Japan.

The period in which you can enjoy both canola flowers and cherry blossoms is from late March until early April. If you choose to make a trip to Otaki Station, you’ll even come across the Otaki Cherry Blossom Festival.

During this period, it’s common to find many cherry blossom events being held at each train stop and their surrounding areas (schedules for 2022 are yet to be determined).

(*Please get in touch with each town’s tourism bureau for further information on such events.)

7. Superb Scenery on the Kominato Railway: Prepare to be in Awe of Yellow Carpeted Fields Accented with Pastel Pink Cherry Blossoms

Photo courtesy of: (Public Corporation)Chiba Prefecture Tourism and Products Association
Photo courtesy of: (Public Corporation)Chiba Prefecture Tourism and Products Association

Chiba Prefecture’s Ichihara City is around an hour train ride away from Tokyo Station. Connecting Ichihara and the neighboring town of Otaki is the Kominato Railway.

This railway is very popular due to having more than ten scenic spots for viewing canola fields. In the springtime, canola fields are a common sight around the Boso Peninsula, a peninsula that encompasses the entirety of Chiba Prefecture.

Out of the scenic spots available, the area around Itabu Station in Ichihara City enables you to enjoy both canola flowers and cherry blossoms when they’re in full bloom.

In addition to the standard train cars that pass through these areas, there’s also a sightseeing train called the Boso Satoyama Torocco.

An exciting aspect about this train is that the front car pulling the other cars is a diesel locomotive (Boso Satoyama Torocco doesn’t stop at Itabu Station)!

Taking this special service line will enable you to peacefully enjoy a rural Japanese landscape. From late-March to early-April, you can enjoy both cherry blossoms and canola flowers at once.

Surprisingly, there are many railways that run along famous cherry blossom viewing spots! We highly recommend going out and enjoying some of the special springtime-limited scenery introduced in this article.

Written by:

Mae Kakizaki

Mae Kakizaki

Active as a freelance writer and editor since 2019. Utilizing her background as a monthly magazine and portal site editor, she currently contributes walk-around-town articles to websites.

*The information in this article is from February 2022. Details may have changed since this time.
*For updated information, please refer to each official website.
*Business hours are subject to change depending on the spread of Covid-19.

*This information is from the time of this article's publication.
*Prices and options mentioned are subject to change.
*Unless stated otherwise, all prices include tax.

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