Tenshochi Park, Kitakami, Japan
Kitakami in Iwate Prefecture, is famous for the more than 10,000 cherry trees planted alongside the Kitakami River in Tenshochi Park. The trees are usually in bloom for one to two weeks around late April and form a beautiful tunnel of cherry blossoms that earns the park a spot among the Tohoku Region’s three best cherry blossom spots alongside Hirosaki Castle and Kakunodate.
During the cherry blossom season, festival visitors stroll along the park’s two kilometer long path which is lined by cherry trees on both sides and covered in a canopy of white blossoms. Food vendors and festival event venues are found at both ends of the path. Visitors can also enjoy the cherry blossoms from the Kitakami River by joining one of the sightseeing boats that depart from the resthouse at the south end of the park (20 minutes, 1300 yen per person).
Epic Japan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound