EDITORIALS
Five Cherry Blossom Spots in Hokkaido! Access, best time to visit, and information on the surrounding area!
The cherry blossom viewing season has arrived in Hokkaido, the land of the north!
Here are five places in Hokkaido where you can see beautiful cherry blossoms.
Goryokaku Park is the ruins of a castle, famous for its moat carved into a star-shaped pentagon, and is a popular spot all year round. In spring, it is even more beautiful with 1,600 yaezakura and someiyoshino cherry trees in spectacular bloom. The magnificent cherry blossoms can be seen from the top of Goryokaku Tower, and are at their best from late April, making it a great place to include in your schedule for major holidays. This year, due to the new coronavirus, banquets and other activities are prohibited, but you can still enter the area and take a stroll under the cherry blossoms.
For more information, please visit Domingo's spots page.
Goryokaku Park
Sapporo TV Tower and other spots exist in this park, which is also a popular place for tourists. Located in the center of Sapporo, the 1,500-meter-long Odori Park is a great place to enjoy a rich natural scene in the middle of a big city. It is even more beautiful during the cherry blossom season, which comes every year around Golden Week. It is only one subway stop from Sapporo Station, but if you do not have a lot of luggage, you can get there in about 15 minutes on foot, so we recommend that you take a walk while enjoying the scenery of Sapporo. You cannot have a party in the Odori Park, but if you sit on a bench under the cherry trees and look up at the blooming cherry blossoms, you will surely feel comfortable and forget that you are in a big city.
For more information, please visit Domingo's spot page.
Odori Park
Maruyama Park, located near the center of Sapporo, is one of the most popular cherry blossom viewing spots in Hokkaido. Maruyama Park is conveniently located just 3 minutes from Maruyama Koen Station on the Sapporo Municipal Subway. This year, due to the new Corona virus, the use of firearms is prohibited, and visitors are asked to refrain from having parties with sheets drawn and to visit on days and times when the park is less crowded. Although there are some restrictions on how to enjoy the cherry blossoms, the beauty of the cherry blossoms is the same as in previous years, so why not consider it as one of the candidate sites for cherry blossom viewing?
For more information, please visit Domingo's spot page.
Maruyama Park
Asahiyama Park, adjacent to Asahiyama Zoo, one of Hokkaido's most popular zoos, is another representative cherry blossom viewing spot in Hokkaido. The park is located at the foot of Mt. Asahiyama at an elevation of about 200 meters and offers a beautiful view of the park, which is at its best from early to mid-May and is lit up at night during the season. The park is accessible by bus from JR Asahikawa Station. A rental car is also recommended.
Lastly, we will introduce a cherry blossom viewing spot on Rishiri Island, a remote island located near the northernmost point of the North Sea. Although banquets are not allowed because it is a shrine, it is famous as the last place in Japan where you can enjoy cherry blossoms. The best time to see the cherry blossoms is from late May. The cherry blossoms on Rishiri Island are in full bloom just as the rainy season is about to begin in Honshu. Rishiri Island is one of the islands you should definitely visit, as it is home to many beautiful flowers in addition to cherry blossoms. It takes about 100 minutes by ferry from Wakkanai to land on the island.
Here are five places in Hokkaido where you can see beautiful cherry blossoms.
Goryokaku Park (Hakodate City)
Goryokaku Park is the ruins of a castle, famous for its moat carved into a star-shaped pentagon, and is a popular spot all year round. In spring, it is even more beautiful with 1,600 yaezakura and someiyoshino cherry trees in spectacular bloom. The magnificent cherry blossoms can be seen from the top of Goryokaku Tower, and are at their best from late April, making it a great place to include in your schedule for major holidays. This year, due to the new coronavirus, banquets and other activities are prohibited, but you can still enter the area and take a stroll under the cherry blossoms.
For more information, please visit Domingo's spots page.
Goryokaku Park
■Odori Park (Sapporo)
Sapporo TV Tower and other spots exist in this park, which is also a popular place for tourists. Located in the center of Sapporo, the 1,500-meter-long Odori Park is a great place to enjoy a rich natural scene in the middle of a big city. It is even more beautiful during the cherry blossom season, which comes every year around Golden Week. It is only one subway stop from Sapporo Station, but if you do not have a lot of luggage, you can get there in about 15 minutes on foot, so we recommend that you take a walk while enjoying the scenery of Sapporo. You cannot have a party in the Odori Park, but if you sit on a bench under the cherry trees and look up at the blooming cherry blossoms, you will surely feel comfortable and forget that you are in a big city.
For more information, please visit Domingo's spot page.
Odori Park
Maruyama Park (Sapporo)
Maruyama Park, located near the center of Sapporo, is one of the most popular cherry blossom viewing spots in Hokkaido. Maruyama Park is conveniently located just 3 minutes from Maruyama Koen Station on the Sapporo Municipal Subway. This year, due to the new Corona virus, the use of firearms is prohibited, and visitors are asked to refrain from having parties with sheets drawn and to visit on days and times when the park is less crowded. Although there are some restrictions on how to enjoy the cherry blossoms, the beauty of the cherry blossoms is the same as in previous years, so why not consider it as one of the candidate sites for cherry blossom viewing?
For more information, please visit Domingo's spot page.
Maruyama Park
■Asahiyama Park (Asahikawa City)
Asahiyama Park, adjacent to Asahiyama Zoo, one of Hokkaido's most popular zoos, is another representative cherry blossom viewing spot in Hokkaido. The park is located at the foot of Mt. Asahiyama at an elevation of about 200 meters and offers a beautiful view of the park, which is at its best from early to mid-May and is lit up at night during the season. The park is accessible by bus from JR Asahikawa Station. A rental car is also recommended.
■Kitami Shrine (Rishirifuji Town)
Lastly, we will introduce a cherry blossom viewing spot on Rishiri Island, a remote island located near the northernmost point of the North Sea. Although banquets are not allowed because it is a shrine, it is famous as the last place in Japan where you can enjoy cherry blossoms. The best time to see the cherry blossoms is from late May. The cherry blossoms on Rishiri Island are in full bloom just as the rainy season is about to begin in Honshu. Rishiri Island is one of the islands you should definitely visit, as it is home to many beautiful flowers in addition to cherry blossoms. It takes about 100 minutes by ferry from Wakkanai to land on the island.
Writer Profile
Travel and gourmet writer, Saori Nakamura
Writer living in Hokkaido. I usually work in the service industry and write in my spare time and on my days off. She writes mainly in the travel and gourmet food genres for both the web and print media. She also writes in Chinese, making use of the Chinese language skills she acquired during her university days.
