Nagatoro, located a short distance downstream from the center of Chichibu, is famous for its boat trips down the rapids and is also renowned for its dense cherry blossoms. Incidentally, while boat trips down the river are great, I also recommend rafting in the middle of summer and jumping into the Arakawa River midway through. Now, even in areas with a high concentration of cherry blossoms, the cherry blossom areas are spread out over a wide area, so you’ll get tired of walking unless you narrow down your area based on information about when the blossoms are in full bloom.
I recommend the 2.5-kilometer-long row of cherry trees along Kita-Sakura(North Cherry Blossoms) Street, which starts from Nagatoro Station to the next station, Nogami. The tunnel of cherry blossoms stretches on and on, and when you try to take a picture of it, a car or motorcycle inevitably gets in the shot because it’s so long and unobstructed.
North cherry blossoms Street in Nagatoro (1)approach to Mt.Hoto
Heading west from Kagemori Station on the Chichibu Railway, you’ll find a series of temples along the line, each boasting magnificent weeping cherry trees. It’s a bit of a distance, but it’s a leisurely stroll along the country road, admiring the cherry blossoms planted here and there along the way. Incidentally, the Arakawa River, which flows through downtown Tokyo, runs along the railway line. Here, it carves a deep gorge.
Urayamaguchi Station (2)
Urayamaguchi Station (1)
Shofukuji Temple
weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (1)
First, I started walking from Bushu-Hino Station. Although there were no signs, I climbed up beside a farmhouse and suddenly Shofuku-ji Temple appeared. The sight of the cherry blossoms adorning the temple gate, which you can see when you look up the stairs, is truly breathtaking. This spot is on a slight hill, so you can see the Chichibu Basin beyond the curtain of weeping cherry blossoms in front of you, with cherry blossoms visible everywhere. You can also see the Chichibu Railway, and you’ll probably even see the steam locomotives moving along, spewing black smoke.
weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (3)
weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (7)
weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (8)
weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (9)
weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (10)
weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (4)
weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (6)
weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (5)
Seiunj Temple and Wakajishi Shrine
weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (11)
Next, we head towards the weeping cherry tree forest at Seiunji Temple, which is often seen on posters. Along the way, we pass a shrine with a sumo wrestling ring. The weeping cherry trees at Seiunji Temple are simply breathtaking. If you climb the stairs of the adjacent Wakajishi Shrine and look down from above, you can enjoy an even more spectacular view of the weeping cherry forest. Incidentally, the protective statue at the entrance of this shrine is a wolf, not a guardian lion. Apparently, they light up the shrine at night during the cherry blossom festival, and the fact that there are stalls selling farming tools gives it a very rural festival feel.
weeping cherry blossoms (1)field of sumo wrestling
weeping cherry blossoms (2)
weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (1)
weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (3)
weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (4)
weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (5)
weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (6)
weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (7)
weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (8)
weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (9)Wolves instead of guardian lions
weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (10)
weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (12)
source: Chichibumovies
Chosenji Temple
weeping cherry blossoms in Chosenji temple (7)
Finally, we visit Chōsenji Temple, famous for the revival of a giant weeping cherry tree that had once declined in vitality. Weeping cherry trees bloom earlier than Somei Yoshino cherry trees, so the giant white weeping cherry tree here has already shed its blossoms, but the temple grounds are beautifully maintained. Furthermore, this temple is worth visiting this year because it is unveiling its hidden Buddha statue for the Year of the Horse. However, since the unveiling is taking place in the back of the temple hall, which is quite dark, it is very difficult to see the face of the Kannon statue, making it almost as if it were not unveiled at all.
weeping cherry blossoms in Chosenji temple (9)
weeping cherry blossoms in Chosenji temple (1)
weeping cherry blossoms in Chosenji temple (2)
weeping cherry blossoms in Chosenji temple (3)
weeping cherry blossoms in Chosenji temple (4)
weeping cherry blossoms in Chosenji temple (5)
weeping cherry blossoms in Chosenji temple (6)
weeping cherry blossoms in Chosenji temple (8)
From here, I headed towards Urayamaguchi Station, surrounded by cherry blossoms, and returned to my accommodation.
Along the Chichibu Railway line, especially around the stations, weeping cherry trees are densely packed. What’s more, they’re not lined up in an orderly fashion, but rather grow naturally, which is what makes them so appealing. These photos, featuring cherry blossoms alongside a quaint old train station, are a classic example of cherry blossom photography.
Urayamaguchi Station (3)
Urayamaguchi Station (6)
Urayamaguchi Station (7)
Moreover, since the steam locomotive runs on weekends from spring to autumn, it would be a shame not to take photos of the steam locomotive and cherry blossoms together. However, securing a good spot is crucial for taking these kinds of photos. But, Chichibu isn’t overly touristy, so even photography enthusiasts are generally calm, and finding a good spot is still a peaceful affair.
Bushu Hino Station (4)SL fans
Bushu Hino Station (2)
Bushu Hino Station (5)
Bushu Hino Station (6)
A train whistle echoes in the distance, letting us know it’s getting closer. Soon, the hissing sound of steam can be heard traveling along the tracks. If you choose a location with a slope, you can capture the sight of black smoke billowing around cherry blossoms. The steam locomotive seems to approach slowly, but once it’s in front of you, it suddenly speeds past.
Bushu Hino Station (9)
Bushu Hino Station (7)
Bushu Hino Station (8)
Bushu Hino Station (3)
Bushu Hino Station (1)
My usual favorite photo spot is around Bushu-Hino Station. There’s a small level crossing without barriers, and an automated voice warns you “Dangerous!” if you try to cross it, but people who don’t know about the automated voice system are startled by the voice and almost trip, so it’s hard to tell which is more dangerous.
Soba restaurant (1)
Soba restaurant (2)
Soba restaurant (3)
If you walk about 20 minutes uphill from this railroad crossing, you’ll find a popular soba restaurant that only serves 49 bowls a day. The owner apparently checks the quality of the soba for one bowl each day, but you can’t help but think, why not just make 51 bowls? A score of 80 points was posted inside the restaurant at that day. It was indeed delicious. Soba noodles are a living thing, so eat them all first before starting on the side dishes. Also, since it’s a mountain trail, don’t forget your bear bell. You have to risk your life to eat delicious food.
It seems that the city of Sakuragawa, literally translated as cherry blossoms along river, was formed through a merger of towns and villages, and while there are certainly spots comparable to the wild cherry blossoms of Yoshino in Nara, one of merged town of Makabe, which retains the same town layout as it did in the early Edo period like as Tatsuno town, is more famous. I headed for the old townscape, and was surprised to see huge stone lanterns installed at the entrances of private homes here and there.
makabe town (3)big house and big lantern
They were so huge that you would never see them at an inn or temple or shrine, and it seemed like each home was competing to have their own. It seems like peoplein Tokushima Prefecture are showing off their wealth by building magnificent udatsu at the boundary between houses, but with the recent increase in robberies, the giant stone lantern is intended to appeal to robbers, as if it is asking them to break into its premises. As we drove, we saw stoneworks everywhere, and the rows of stone lanterns waiting to be shipped were a spectacular sight. As I couldn’t buy a stone lantern as a souvenir, I bought a stone chopstick rest instead.
makabe town (8)tsukamoto tea storehouse
As you enter the town of Makabe, you will come across an old townscape that has been designated an Important Building Heritage District. While some buildings are well preserved, others are in a state of disrepair, and some look as though they will soon collapse if left as they are. I wonder if it could be used as a way to revitalize the town and somehow improve it. There are no shops that you can just drop into while walking around town. I’m sure there are similar places all over the country, but seeing the buildings decaying in the hot sun made me feel more lonely than touristy.
makabe town (1)miwa house
makabe town (2)
makabe town (4)post office
makabe town (5)
makabe town (6)
makabe town (7)kawashima storehouse
makabe town (9)shiota house
makabe town (10)iseya inn
makabe town (11)murai brewery
makabe town (12)stone storehouse
makabe town (13)inose house yakuimon
makabe town (14)Mt.Tsukuba
makabe town (15)nishioka honten brewery
makabe town (16)
makabe town (17)
Detour for lunch
There is a lovely little cafe, “Cafe125,” between Makabe town and Amabiki Kannon Temple. The whole house is decorated with handmade dolls and dried flowers.
Miyakonojo is located upstream of the Oyodo River, which has its mouth in Miyazaki City, so it should be in a basin, but when you look at the map, it’s too flat to be called a basin. Since it was cherry blossom season, I went to the observatory of Mochio Shrine to see the row of cherry blossom trees that were selected as one of the top 100 cherry blossom trees. If I go to a shrine on a hill just to get a view, I will might be punished, so after praying at the shrine, I tried to go to the observation deck and noticed that there was a group of megaliths behind the shrine. I could feel an inexplicable spirit. Trembling, I proceed to the observation deck.
miyakonojyo (1)mochioka shrine
miyakonojyo (2)
miyakonojyo (3)giant stones
miyakonojyo (4)
miyakonojyo (5)
From the observation deck, you can get a good view of the completely flat Miyakonojo. I have never seen such flat land. There is an explanation that it was a lake in ancient times, and was flattened by pyroclastic flows from the Aira Caldera in Kagoshima next to Miyakonojo. I had often heard on the news that avian influenza had broken out in Miyakonojo and the chickens at the poultry farm had to be culled, and I thought that the area was so flat that migratory birds would also land there. I came to see the row of cherry blossom trees from the observation deck, but my attention was drawn to the vast, flat basin.
A sake brewery in Daigahara, a post town on the old Koshu Highroad, produced a famous sake called Shichiken. The brewed water in the backyard that you can drink freely is soft and delicious. There is also sake that is similar to champagne. Would you like to eat koji(malt) dishes at the attached restaurant, or have cold soba noodles at the soba restaurant across the street? In either case, good water is the deciding factor.
shichiken3 pine tree
shichiken2 inside
shichiken4 restaurant
shichiken6 lunch
shichiken5 natural water
soba kubota
Whiskey brewing and tasting
suntory3 tasting
Japanese Sake is not the only type of brewing that uses delicious water. The Suntory Hakushu factory is located towards Kobuchizawa from the post town. You can tour here, but the most fun part is the tasting. Advance reservations are required to tour, but be sure to take advantage of the hourly free shuttle bus from Kobuchizawa Station. Drivers are only boring. In case of the Suntory Yamazaki factory in Osaka, it is near the station, so you can easily go for a tasting. The founders of both Suntory and Nikka Whiskey were closely related.
If you follow the JR Chuo Main Line further upstream, you will see a particularly huge cherry tree, the Kanda Oito Cherry Blossom (Edohigan Cherry Blossom), standing like a giant with Yatsugatake in the background. The tree is currently being treated to restore its vigor.
kanda2 cyuoh line
kanda5 with yatsugatake
kanda4
The cherry blossoms at the place where Dososhin, the road god at the entrance of the village, is located overlooking the Oito cherry blossoms are also spectacular.
kanda1
kanda6
kanda7
kanda9
kanda10
Detour (Nagasaka Ushiike Pond)
Nagasaka Town is located across the Kamanashi River, which creates a deep valley. Just one step away from the main road in the middle of town, cherry blossoms are planted surrounding Nagasaka Ushiike Pond, which was built for irrigation purposes, and the Southern Alps appear to be looming in the background.
nagasaka ushi pond1 left
nagasaka ushi pond2 right
Sakura needs no explanation. I missed the famous cherry blossoms along the JR Chuo Line. This is a lone cherry tree in Wanizuka, Nirasaki City, just before Hokuto City. The cherry blossoms reach full bloom earlier than the cherry blossoms in Hokuto City, so pay attention to the timing.
Near Jisso-ji Temple, there is a row of Sanehara cherry trees planted by the pioneers of this area. It is said that when they first settled in this area, they had great difficulty cultivating it due to lack of water.
sanehara3 kai komagatake
sanehara4
sanehara5
sanehara6
sanehara7
sanehara12 edohigan cherry
sanehara13
sanehara14
sanehara15
sanehara16
The rows of cherry blossom trees, which have watched their work over the past year, will be in full bloom again this year with Mt. Kai-komagatake in the Southern Alps in the background and will give them courage.
