Hiraoyama Park (Sakudaira Highway Oasis Parada) is about 80 minutes when taking the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, followed by a 10-minute taxi ride from Sakudaira Station.

A private car is even more convenient. The Sakudaira basin is surrounded by Mt. Asama (a volcano) in the north, the Kanto Mountains in the east, with the town of Tateshina in the south spreading out below.

The biggest attraction of this area is that you can relax in different places while enjoying the cherry blossoms, which bloom in mid-late April. It is recommended as a spot where all of your senses come alive.

Ueda Castle is a famous castle built in 1583 by Masayuki Sanada, a lord and daimyo. It is now a park and is one of the 100 Historical Parks in Japan.

There are around 1,000 cherry trees planted in the garden. Different types of cherry blossoms such as Somei Yoshino, Yamazakura, turmeric cherry tree, weeping cherry tree, Edo higan, and rotozakura are there. Each species blooms at different times, so the season to enjoy them is quite long – truly a must for your bucket list. You'll love the gorgeous scenery that matches the famous castle as it spreads out before you.

When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, the Ueda Castle Senbonzakura Festival is held (scheduled for March 30 to April 7, 2024). Ueda City's product exhibitions and stage events are held, and many stalls around the moat are also crowded. The must-see is the cherry blossoms illuminated from sunset until 10 PM. The scenery of the cherry blossoms at night, which has been certified as a Japan Nightscape Heritage, is fantastic and makes you feel the romance of the area.

Ueda City is great for those who want to really enjoy the cherry blossoms.

The area around Ueda Castle Ruins Park can be enjoyed as a walking tour, but there are several other cherry blossom viewing spots. Among them, we recommend Zensanji Temple, which was opened by Kobo Daishi (a monumental Japanese monk and scholar) during the Kamakura period.

The temple grounds, called the Hana no Tera, are not just for cherry blossom viewing - you can enjoy many flowers throughout the four seasons. There is also a three-story pagoda called the Unfinished Pagoda, which is an important cultural property of the country. Here, you can enjoy the cherry blossoms leisurely with its distinctive presence.

Nagano Prefecture boasts Matsumoto Castle, which is designated as the oldest national treasure in Japan as an existing five-tiered, six-storied castle tower. Matsumoto Castle offers beautiful scenery in every season, but it may be especially famous in spring, when cherry blossoms bloom everywhere around the castle.

Two events will be held from three to eight days after the official announcement that the flowers are in bloom. The first is the Matsumoto Castle Yozakura-kai, or the "Night Sakura Festival." Here you can listen to traditional flute and other performances in the garden while the castle tower of Matsumoto Castle is illuminated and view the cherry blossoms of the Honmaru garden.

At the second event, Matsumoto Castle Cherry Blossom "Corridor of the Light," the cherry blossom trees that line up along the outer moat are lit up, and when you walk in the pale pink transparent light you'll feel positively enchanted by the romantic scene! Be sure to take a stroll around the castle and enjoy the town at night.

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According to the Zenkoji Engi, an early history of Zenkoji Temple, Shinshu Zenkoji was founded as a temple in the year 642 AD before Buddhism was divided into denominations. The statue of Amida Nyorai Sanson (Amida and Two Attendants) is the oldest Buddha statue in Japan and can be found here.

The Maedachi Honzon, is one of the temple's most sacred icons, and it can only be seen for a short period of time called go-kaicho, held every six years.

You can't sit and enjoy the cherry blossoms in the precincts, but you can take a slow stroll and look at Yoshino cherry trees and weeping cherry trees on the road leading to an enshrinement hall, called Unjyoden.

Unjoden is on the top of the mountain, which is a 20-minute walk to the north of Zenkoji Temple, and afforts an especially gorgeous view when the cherry blossoms at Zenkoji are in full bloom, from early April to mid-April.

From Iiyama Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, take the Iiyama Line towards Echigo-Kawaguchi. A five-minute walk from the first station, Kita-Iiyama Station, is Iiyama Castle Ruins Park. There is a playground in the maintained park, so if you are joining with family, younger children will enjoy romping around under the blossoms. Somei Yoshino cherry trees are in full bloom – it is as if the entire hillside is covered in pink.

During the Iiyama Castle Ruins Sakura Festival, which is held when the blossoms are in peak bloom, the petals in the park will be lit up at night. The best time to visit is from mid to late April every year.

Takato Castle Ruins Park is not far from Tokyo and is easily accessible. It is a cherry blossom spot worth visiting multiple times. In fact, it has been selected as one of the 100 most famous cherry blossom spots in Japan and is one of three major cherry blossom spots in Japan.

In the Meiji era, Takato Castle was destroyed and then reborn as a park in 1875. At that time, the former lords of Takato transplanted the cherry trees, but some old trees were left behind. Currently, there are more than 1500 cherry trees, and when they are in full bloom, it's magnificent.

Most of the cherry blossoms are Takato-ohiganzakura, and the characteristic feature is bunches of small pink petals attached to branches that make you feel like you are seeing a pink cloud. Innumerable petals make flower rafts on the surface of ponds and moats to delight the eyes of those who take a walk. Takato Ohiganzakura, which is called Tenka Daiichi no Sakura, has so many variations that you will never get tired of it. The Takato Sakura Festival held during the season attracts a large number of cherry-blossom visitors from all over the country. The best time to see is from early to late April.

Takada Castle was built in 1614 as the residence of Tadateru Matsudaira, the sixth son of Ieyasu Tokugawa. The cherry blossoms at this castle are especially famous for being illuminated at night. They are even designated as one of the Top 3 Night Cherry Blossoms of Japan.

The Takada Castle Keep and the banquet of cherry blossoms lit by roughly 3000 lights in the dark night are well worth seeing. Looking down the Mie Tower, you can see that cherry blossoms are projected on the surface of the moat, with pale pink shadows swaying.

The area is lit up from sunset until 9pm, but when it is in full bloom it will be extended until 10pm. At the annual Takada Castle Ruins Park Viewing Cherry Blossom Festival, fireworks are launched and mikoshi shrines are prepared (March 29 - April 14 in 2024). There are also product exhibitions and stalls selling area souvenirs, which is quite exciting.

Miyama Park is located on the hilltop of a beautiful mountain. If you climb up to the observation deck here, you'll be rewarded with a view of the sea of Japan and the mountains of the Northern Alps.

In spring, around 600 cherry trees are in full bloom, and they are covered with snow to show a spectacular contrast with the shining mountains. This observatory, where you can enjoy a breathtaking view, is a superb viewpoint at Miyama Park. The best time to see the cherry blossoms is mid-April.

Toyama City is a day trip from Kanazawa. Around 500 cherry trees run along the Matsukawa River that runs through the middle of the area, making for an inspirational sight. But to really enjoy the scene the most, you have to take the Matsukawa River Boat Cruise.

The row of cherry blossom trees along Matsukawa is one of the most famous cherry blossom spots in Toyama City, which is also one of the 100 most famous cherry blossom spots in Japan. To take the sightseeing boat, head to Matsukawa Chaya in Toyama Castle Park. The teahouse has light meals such as coffee, ice cream, dumplings and green tea sets, as well as a menu containing treats such as green tea parfaits.

The Matsukawa River is attractive in all four seasons, but the boat tour introduces some of the history of the area and passes underneath and through the cherry blossom tunnel - an activity that you cannot miss in Toyama. As an alternative, you can stroll along the riverside and snap pictures as you go by.

Kenroku-en is one of the three most famous gardens in Japan along with Kairakuen (in Ibaraki) and Korakuen (Okayama). A garden typical of the Edo period that has been shaped by successive daimyo, it is one of Japan's leading tourist attractions. There is a large pond in the garden, a man-made hill, and there are teahouses scattered around the premises, so you can take a walk through the garden while stopping at these points. About 40 types of cherry blossoms and about 420 trees are planted, and it is also selected as one of the 100 Best Sakura Spots in Japan.

The most types of cherry blossoms bloom in mid-April every year. In late April, valuable varieties such as Kenrokuen Kikuzakura and Kenrokuen Kumagai are in full bloom. In particular, Kenrokuen-kumagai is a special variety with large flowers and gorgeous deep pink petals.

Kenrokuen is usually open for free for one week from the 5th day after the official bloom announcement. Furthermore, the cherry blossoms are illuminated at night from sunset until 9 PM, so you can enjoy their beauty in both the day and as you stroll through the garden at night.

(As of February 2024, due to the damage caused by the Noto Peninsula earthquake on January 1, 2024, and in order to prevent further damage from aftershocks, some areas within the park are closed.)

Kanazawa Castle Park is connected to Kenrokuen Garden by a single bridge. It is said to be the symbol of Kanazawa City, and it is a very popular cherry blossom viewing spot in the local area along with Kenrokuen. During the cherry blossom season, you can enjoy about 400 cherry trees, including Somei Yoshino cherry trees grown in the Kanazawa University Botanical Garden.

When you enjoy cherry blossoms at Kanazawa Castle Park, you should definitely pay attention to the gorgeous stone walls. Their shape is rich in design: sometimes wild and sometimes innovative. There is no other castle in the country with colorful and artistic stone walls.

The Ishikawa-mon Gate, Otebori Moat, and Hishiyagura turret are also recommended spots for viewing cherry blossoms. Similar to Kenrokuen, Kanazawa Castle Park is open for free during cherry blossom season and illuminated at night.

(As of February 2024, following the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred on January 1 of the same year, some areas within the park are restricted to prevent further damage from aftershocks.)

There is no wrong way to view the blossoms. There are blossoms that bloom and fall, and some that bloom for the whole year. You can experience the roots of Japanese aesthetics just by enjoying this in person.

Interview & Writing: Dali Corporation

This article is based on a visit in 2019, and was updated in February 2024. Sakura blooming dates, event dates and content etc. may have changed.