By the beginning of May, the last cherry blossoms of Kakunodate have bloomed and are being blown away by the spring breeze. Green shoots have come out from the trees, heralding that winter is truly over, even though you can still see snow on top of the mountains in the horizon. It is also Golden Week, a national holiday and peak tourism season in Japan. Along the Hinokinai River, there are over a thousand trees that line the banks, so you can see cherry blossoms for as far as the eyes can see. You can cycle or stroll under the “tunnel” of cherry blossoms, in the same way that many visitors stroll under the tunnel of Vermillion gates in Fushimi Shrine in Kyoto.
The Last Blossoms of Kakunodate
A thousand cherry blossoms in Springtime
