Kanagawa] 3 popular cherry blossom viewing spots in early spring

78 varieties of cherry trees bloomed in sequence like a relay baton.

Around 1,600 cherry trees are grown in the park, with 78 different varieties. The park brochure includes a cherry blossom guide, so visitors can view the cherry blossoms while checking the names of the varieties.

Since many kinds of cherry trees bloom at different times, it is not possible to see all the flowers at once. Repeated visits to the park will allow visitors to experience the changing of the seasons through the blooming cherry trees. The first to burst into bud in the park are the kanzakura cherry trees. They usually bloom in mid-February. This is followed by weeping cherry trees in late March, someiyoshino cherry trees in early April, and yaezakura cherry trees in mid-April, as if passing the baton in a relay.

Other cherry trees such as kawazu-zakura, yamazakura, fuyu-zakura, kanhizakura, oshimazakura, edohigan-zakura, kanzan, fugenzou, ukon-zakura, and yokohama-hizakura open their flowers in sequence over a two-month period.

Nature spreading around three ponds

The area immediately after entering the main gate of the park is the "Hilltop Plaza. In the plaza, from south to north, there are "Kami-no-ike" (upper pond), "Naka-no-ike" (middle pond), and "Shimo-no-ike" (lower pond), all with calm water surfaces. The ponds were originally constructed as irrigation reservoirs, and even today they are home to numerous wild birds and aquatic creatures, and in 1991 were selected as one of the "50 best places for bird watching in Kanagawa.

A wide variety of facilities allow you to enjoy more than just cherry blossom viewing

In the "play forest" on the west bank of the Upper Pond, there is a long slide with a total length of approximately 67 meters and a height difference of approximately 12 meters. In early spring, visitors can enjoy the exhilarating feeling of sliding down the slide while viewing cherry blossoms. Other areas include the "Adventure Forest," "Flower Plaza," "Observation Plaza," "Water Plaza," "Recreation Plaza," and "Korea Garden," as well as sports facilities, making the park a great place to enjoy activities other than cherry blossom viewing.

<Facility Information
Facility Name Mitsuike Park
Address: 1-1 Mitsuike Park, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Phone number 045-581-0287
Admission Free
Opening hours: Free all day
Access From Shin-Yokohama Station on the JR Yokohama Line, take city bus No. 6 or 104 bound for "Tsurumi Station West Exit", get off at "Mitsuike Park North Gate" stop, and walk about 3 minutes.
Official website http://www.kanagawa-park.or.jp/mitsuike/

Cherry blossom trees lined from Kannon Bridge to Ota Bridge

The "Ooka River Promenade" starts from Kannon Bridge at the uppermost point, and passes through Hirooka Bridge, Oi Bridge, Tsurumaki Bridge, Makita Bridge, Idogaya Bridge, Shimizu Bridge, Makita Koen Bridge, Yoshitani Bridge, Sanno Bridge, Ichihon Bridge, Dokei Bridge, Shirogane Humanitarian Bridge, Sakae Bridge, and Ota Bridge. Information boards displaying the distances to the previous and next bridges are placed at the embankments of all bridges, allowing visitors not only to confirm their current location but also to accurately determine the distance to the end of the route. The nearest stations to the upstream and downstream Kannon and Ota bridges are Gumyoji Station and Koganecho Station, respectively, on the Keihin Kyuko Line.

Cherry trees planted to replace willows before the war

The Ooka River was once used for water transportation, and rice wholesalers lined the banks of the river. Merchants planted many willow trees, believing that their swaying branches would attract people. Around 1980, the promenade was developed. Today, around 500 cherry trees, mainly Someiyoshino, grow along the "Ooka River Promenade. Other varieties of cherry trees that can be seen include Oshima-zakura near the Hirooka Bridge, Jindai-akebono near the Tsurumaki Bridge, Yaebeni-shidare-zakura and fuyu-zakura near the Idogaya Bridge, and Yokohama-hizakura near the Makita Koen Bridge. In Makita Park adjacent to the Makita Park Bridge, the "Minami Ward Cherry Blossom Festival" is held during the cherry blossom viewing season, and various events are held there. According to the information board by the bridge, Makita Park Bridge is located 2 km from Kannon Bridge and 1.2 km from Ota Bridge.

In the endless rows of cherry trees, you will see some with distinctive branching patterns. Some trees stretch straight up toward the sky, others spread their branches wide horizontally, and still others, more unusually, extend their branches downward from the base of the tree. It is as if they are trying to drink water from the Ooka River.

<Facility Information
Facility name Ookagawa Kannon Bridge
Address: 2-1 Ooka, Minami-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Access Approximately 7 minutes walk from "Gumyoji Station" of Keihin Kyuko Line

<Facility Information
Facility name Ooka River Ota Bridge
Address: 1-1-5 Shirogane-cho, Minami-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Access Approximately 1 minute walk from Koganecho Station on the Keikyu Line

Exquisite color contrast between the pink of Kawazu cherry blossoms and the yellow of rape blossoms

To reach Nishihirahata Park on foot, one must climb a slope from a gate at the southern foot of Mt. Kawazu cherry trees grow without gaps on both sides of the boardwalk that zigzags leading up the slope of the mountain. As you walk up the slope, the Kawazu cherry trees move up and down. When your body is completely covered with cherry blossoms, not only from front to back and left to right, but also from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, you may feel light on your feet as you walk up the slope. Moreover, the rape blossoms at the base of the cherry trees look as if they are covered with a yellow carpet. The pink of the Kawazu cherry trees and the yellow of the rape blossoms create an exquisite color contrast. You will surely experience the feeling of spring in full bloom. The promenade also has a viewing area, so you can rest your feet and enjoy the spring attire.

Excellent facilities in the park and spectacular views below

After climbing a slope to reach Nishihirahata Park, the park is a flat open space. In the park, facilities such as the "Herb Garden" with seasonal flowers, the "Nature Hall" where visitors can become familiar with the flora and fauna of Matsuda Town, the "Children's Hall" where visitors can experience traditional games and culture, and the "Furusato Railway," a miniature SL train one-sixth the scale of the real thing, have been prepared.

The Herb Garden not only sells "herb tea," "rice-flour cookies," and souvenirs from the Ashigara Plain, but also has a workshop where visitors can enjoy making crafts from the flowers picked in the herb garden.

Nishi-Hirahata Park has a wide range of facilities for both adults and children, but its greatest attraction is the view from the plaza. To the south, over the Kawazu cherry blossoms and rape blossoms, you can see the townscape spreading across the Ashigara Plain, the mountains of Hakone, and Sagami Bay.

Fuji over the Kawazu cherry blossoms, "Kanto no Fujimi Hyakkei" (One hundred views of Mt. Fuji in Kanto)

If you look a little to the west, you will see Mt. Fuji, the largest mountain in Japan, with snow on its peak in early spring, can be clearly seen. Moreover, when you see it through the blossoms of Kawazu cherry trees, you will unconsciously press the shutter of your camera. You are sure to get some great Instagram-worthy photos. Fuji from Nishihirahata Park was selected by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in 2005 as one of the "100 Best Viewing Places to See Fuji in Kanto".

<Facility Information
Facility Name Nishihirahatake Park
Address: 2951 Matsuda Soryo, Matsuda-cho, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
Phone number: 0465-83-1228 (Matsuda Town Tourism and Economy Section)
Access Approximately 25 minutes on foot from the north exit of "Shin Matsuda Station" on the Odakyu Odawara Line / Approximately 20 minutes on foot from the north exit of "Matsuda Station" on the JR Gotemba Line
Official website https://nisihira-park.org/