Spring is in the air which means Sakura(桜) or Cherry Blossom season in Japan. It brings back memories of the time when I first started chasing the Sakura season in Hokkaido on a family free and easy trip.

Hanami (花見) or flower viewing is a favourite national past time for the Japanese. Come Sakura season and you can see crowds throng the Sakura parks and blue floor mats marking picnic spots under the Sakura foliage.

Hanami by Goryokaku Park

Now when exactly is the Sakura (Cherry Blossom) season and where are the best places for Sakura viewing? If you are thinking about Tokyo then that’s usually around March. The timing depends on where you are planning to go, stretching from around January in Okinawa down south to May up north in Hokkaido. This is such a national activity that you had the JMA (Japan Meteorological Agency) tracking this as part of the weather forecast. However, this seems to be now done by tenki.jp instead.

This is the 2016 Sakura blooming forecast from tenki.jp, do check the site for the latest forecast as this is a moving target depending on weather changes.

Most of my Hokkaido trips have been in the May period to catch the Sakura season there. I would usually make a self drive trip the week immediately after the Japan Golden week to take advantage of the low season rates. The dates can be tricky though, with global warming, the dates have shifted slightly earlier but it is still very weather dependent. Also with the tight blooming window of around 2 weeks, it can be difficult to catch the Sakura flowers at their best.

Let me share with you a couple of the best places for Sakura viewing that I have been to around the southern part of Hokkaido.

 

1. Goryokaku Park in Hakodate

One of the best places for Sakura viewing is Goryokaku Park (五稜郭公園) < 86 166 303, Phone: +81 138-21-3456> in Hakodate (函館). Hakodate is a one of the bigger cities located in the southern part of Hokkaido.

While you are in Hakodate, you can fit these 3 attractions into a day’s itinerary. Visit the Hakodate morning market first thing in the morning, make your way to Goryokaku Park following that then an evening trip to Mount Hakodate.

(a) Hakodate Morning Market

The Hakodate Morning Market (函館朝市) is one of those must visit places in Hakodate. It is located within walking distance of the Hakodate train station if you are looking for bearings. There are ample public parking places near the market.

Being a coastal city, Hakodate is a great place for seafood, with plenty of fresh seafood available. This market is a great place to get fresh seafood and local produce. And if hunger pangs strike, you could head over to the restaurant arcade housing around 20 eateries inside the market to get a sumptuous meal.

(b) Mount Hakodate

Another popular destination would be Mount Hakodate (Ropeway station, Tel: 0138-23-3105), for its stunningly beautiful night view. You could drive all the way to the top but most would take the ropeway (cable car) to enjoy the landscape from a high vantage point.

 

 

(c) Goryokaku Park

But of course, the highlight for me was Goryokaku Park, housing Fort Goryokaku, a western style star-shaped fort with a moat. The moat is around hundred foot wide, with many Japanese carp swimming within. You can also find rental boats for a ride in the moat, popular with both locals and tourists alike. The nearby Goryokaku Tower Observatory provides a panoramic view of the fort and the park. Admission to the park itself is free, but you will need to pay for admission to the Observatory.

This is a fairly large park, with around 1,600 Sakura trees within the park surrounding the moat. When the cherry trees are in full bloom, it becomes a fantastic sight to behold. If you miss the Sakura season in May, you can try for the Wisteria season in June as well as Azelea season from May to early-July.

 

 

2. Matsumae Park

The other must go to place is Matsumae Park (松前,  862 058 254) This is even further south, all the way at the southern tip of Hokkaido. Matsumae is not accessible by train. There are buses from Kikonai Station and Hakodate. This is one of those destinations where you will need a rental car.

The origin of the park is Matsumae Castle, the only Japanese style castle to have been built in Hokkaido. The castle and the grounds were converted to a park after it served its military function. The castle itself was rebuilit in 1961 and today houses a local history museum displaying a selection of artifacts of the local Matsumae clan.

There are around 10,000 Sakura trees within the park. One unique thing about this park is the large variety of Cherry trees, housing more than 250 different varieties here with many of them unique to this place and can only be observed here. As the blooming season is slightly different for the different varieties, you may get up to a month to enjoy the Sakura blooming period here.

The Matsumae Sakura Festival is held during the spring Sakura season, featuring a variety of events, such as dances, floats, traditional music, tea ceremony and other performances over the length of the festival. And in the evenings, the cherry trees around the castle keep will be illuminated.

There are also quite a few scenic spots for photography. This view of the castle is probably the best place for the signature postcard shot.

If you have some time left, you could also check out Matsumaehan Yashiki on the western edge of the park. It is a small historical theme park that recreates Matsumae Town of the Edo Period, containing replicas of 14 heritage buildings.

Or, you could visit Matsumae’s temple district, adjacent to the castle grounds at the northwest end, filled with a variety of temples.

That’s all for now! Have fun chasing the Sakura season in Hokkaido too!

Ja
KL