Only in spring and in Asahimachi, Toyama Prefecture of Japan where you can see these four layers of color: yellow, orange and red tulips, canola flowers, pink cherry trees and a backdrop of the Mount Asahi with snow. It is a new destination with a absolutely stunning view.
First built as a fort in 1933, Himeji Castle has gone through several major constructions and expansion throughout several hundred years, including surviving the Second World War in 1945. In 1581, the famous warrior Hashiba Hideyoshi built a 3-storied keep in Himeji Castle. The current 5-storied, 7-floored Main Keep was completed in 1609. In 1934, the Main Keep of Himeji Castle was designated as National Treasure. In 1993, Himeji Castle was registered as Japan’s first UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. A major maintenance and repair work of the Main Keep began in 2009 and completed in 2015 which was just one year ago. In my recent visit for the cherry blossom, part of the structure is still covered with scaffolding.
Just a little over one hour away from Osaka, Wakayama is one of the nice places to view cherry blossom with Wakayama Castle on the top of the list. There are 600 cherry trees planted in the castle park. Comparing to the very popular Nara neighboring city, Wakayama is relatively less crowded with foreign tourists yet beautiful in its own way.
Osaka is a major base city if you plan to view cherry blossoms in the west Japan area, including popular destinations such as Kyoto, Nara and Wakayama. In Osaka city, there are three major spots where most people view cherry blossoms: Kema Sakuranomiya Park, Osaka Castle and Mint Bureau. The cherry trees in Kema Sakuranomiya Park and Osaka Castle blossom around the same time which is earlier than those in Mint Bureau.
Embracing spring, Travelmomo is travelling to Japan for the cherry blossom and spring flowers. There will be some nice photos and posts to share, covering selected areas in Kyoto, Nana, Osaka, Fukuyama, and Nagano. Cherry blossom is really hard to see, particularly the full bloom, because the whole cherry blossom lasts about two weeks and the full bloom lasts only a few days. I think that it’s even harder than seeing the colour in fall because the cherry flowers are very sensitive to temperature change. When it rains during the blossoming period, you may not even have a chance to see the flowers.
