Cherry blossoms and Japan are like tulips to Holland – they are best in combination. When we were deciding, when to visit this far east country, our Japanese friend instantly said, we have to visit during Sakura aka cherry blossom. We thought ok, why not and we were sooooo happy to follow his advice.
Here are the places we visited and been able to admire the real spring magic happening.
Tokyo
Tokyo was our starting point and due to a long winter we were a bit early for the blossoming. A very famous spot for sakura fans is Ueno park.We were reminded about the cherries on every step – shopping malls, districts and streets were already decorated in light pink.
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Kyoto
In Kyoto we were still a bit early. But because everyone (including us) were there for Sakura, the city was packed full. So full, that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would expected. Nevertheless, I got a feeling how hanami (cherry blossom picnic/party) looks like in Maruyama Park, which is the most popular spot in the city. In the center don’t miss the huge cherry tree, which gets lit up in the evening.
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Kochi
Here the cherries finally started to bloom properly. We were amazed how beautiful it was, how Kochi castle was illuminated, the paths were decorated with lanterns and under almost every tree was a hanami party. The locals were really friendly and gave us treats or invited us to sit with them, although they didn’t speak English.
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Hiroshima
I think we saw the full bloom in Hiroshima, probably the most tragic city of Japan. We were sad and touched by everything we saw and read in the museums, but surprised how well the people are coping with their history. I think we can all learn a lot from them. Ok, back to the cherries. OMG. Really, this was sooo beautiful I couldn’t believe my eyes.
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Miyajima
I really wanted to see this tori and was so lucky to be there during sakura. The cherries exploded here during our visit and my heart was full just because of the cherries (ok, also because I could cuddle the deer).
Not to forget – sakura is such a big deal in Japan, you can find it in cuisine as well. I tried the sakura flavoured pepsi, in McDonalds I tried the sakura drink and sakura sprinkle for french fries, in many tea houses they had special sweet treats to celebrate this special season. Do it properly or don’t do it at all, right? 🙂
If you are planning to go to Japan and time allows you to go in spring – do it. You’ll se Japan and the Japanese people in a different light, you’ll enjoy the sights much more thanks to the beautiful flowers.
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