The 6 Must See Cherry Blossom Spots of Kyushu’s Cherry Blossom Season

Kyushu’s most famous and ancient cherry blossom tree sits under Asu Mountain in Kumamoto Prefecture — the Isshingyou Kouen Great Cherry Blossom. This spectacular and beautiful cherry blossom tree is over 400 years old. It measures 14 meters high and 7 meters in diameter, and its branches extend 26 meters. It is said to be the most extraordinary of cherry blossom trees. It is said that this large mountain cherry blossom tree was planted by villagers during Japan’s Warring States period to commemorate fallen warriors. Now, under the care of the local people, the tree stands tall like a guardian spirit. Each year in the spring, its cherry blossoms float through the air like clouds. The great cherry blossom tree is surrounded by rapeseed flower fields. The flowering of both plants overlaps, with the yellow of the rapeseed flowers and the pink and white of the cherry blossoms complementing one another very well.

Kumamoto Castle is grouped with Osaka Castle and Nagoya Castle as “The Three Famous Large Castles of Japan.” The castle was built under the orders of General Toyotomi Hideyoshi when the famous architect Seishiro became Lord of Kumamoto. Kumamoto Castle’s Ishigaki City Wall is twice as high as a normal castle wall. It has been called “The Retreat of Warriors” and is unsurpassed in Japanese castle architecture. Sky Guard Pavilion is the most representative symbol of Kumamoto Castle. From the pavilion, you can view the entire castle and look out over the surrounding streetscape. Kumamoto Castle has also been listed among “Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots.” Every year between late March and early April, you can see around 800 cherry blossoms in bloom within Kumanoto Castle. The square in front of Sky Guard Pavilion is kept open at night particularly for this occasion. Kumamoto Castle is even more beautiful when decorated by lanterns at night and has a sense of romance as the lanterns shine on the cherry blossoms!

Sengan-en is located in the northwest of Kagoshima. The garden is also known as Iso Teien. The garden was built in 1658 and was the residence of the former Lords of Satsuma, the Shimazu family. Sengan-en is a perfect fusion of traditional Japanese architecture and Chinese landscape gardening. The garden makes use of borrowed scenery techniques by incorporating the nearby Sakurajima Volcano as if it were a hill in the garden’s own landscape and the Kinko Bay as if it were a pond in the garden. The garden also incorporates Chinese-style cliff face writing that greets Ryukyu messengers with the words “Mountain View Pavilion” in Chinese-style. The garden also includes the “Winding River Hall” that was created for the “Winding River Feast” and also contains the Konan Bamboo Grove, planted from Chinese moso bamboo (also known as tortoise-shell bamboo) and enjoys the reputation of “one of the greatest gardens on earth.” The garden includes approximately 1,000 Yoshino Cherry trees and Bellflower Cherry trees. The flowers decorate the whole of Sengan-en with a romantic atmosphere when they bloom at the end of March, giving you a first-hand experience of “the warmth of spring flowers in bloom as you gaze towards the ocean blue.” You may even get to witness the majestic sight of the Sakurajima Volcano erupting.

Omura Park is the only attraction in Nagasaki Prefecture to be included in “Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots.” There are as many as 21 species of cherry blossom tree in the park. More than 2,000 cherry blossoms bloom between late March and mid-April each year, giving the effect of pink clouds surrounding the whole park. Omura Shrine, in the east of the park, is the best place to view the cherry blossoms. The shrine is home to two cherry blossom trees that are over one hundred years old, including the unique “Omura Cherry Blossom Tree.” The Omura Cherry Blossom Tree has been designated as a natural monument of Japan. This variety of cherry blossom features a large number of petals, ranging anywhere from 60 to 200, which greatly enhances the beauty of the cherry blossoms when compared with other varieties that only have 5 petals. Omura Park experiences another wave of flowers blooming during mid-May when visitors can see between two hundred to three hundred thousand Iris flowers in bloom. Accordingly, the park is known as the largest Iris garden in the west of Japan.

Mizuru Park is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot in Fukuoka. Species of cherry blossom include up to 1,000 trees of Yoshina Cherry and Oshima Cherry. The flowers form into a beautiful promenade of light pink and deep red cherry blossoms. The park is also home to another significant attraction — Fukuoka Castle Ruins. Construction of the castle began in 1601 under Kuroda Nagamasa, who was the first generation of Lords of Fukuoka, and was completed after 7 years. The castle is also known as “Maizuru Castle” (literally “Dancing Crane Castle”). The simple style lends a touch of elegance and classical beauty to viewing cherry blossoms at this location. The yozakura (night cherry blossoms) are a real highlight. The swaying cherry blossoms and graceful festival of lanterns shine against the nighttime beauty of the magnificent, 400-year-old Fukuoka castle walls, making for unforgettable scenery.

Memorial Park is located in Izo City, Kagoshima Prefecture. The park is famous for its 2km long avenue of cherry blossoms and is the only listing in Kagoshima Prefecture on “Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots.” The Memorial Shrine becomes the center of attention from late March to early April each year, during the Sacrifice of Theika Tsude. At that time, the 2km long avenue of Yoshida Cherry Blossom Trees and the Osama Thousand Cherry Blossom Trees that surround a huge grass field attract a large number of visitors. If you found it to be a vibrant garden filled with pink flowers during the day, at night it becomes a tunnel of a thousand purple cherry blossoms lit up by a thousand lamps. The lamplight gives the whole scene an intoxicating, dreamy feeling.