① Three classic must-see sights

★Kajo Park

Speaking of cherry blossoms, you can’t miss out Kajo Park. About 1500 cherry trees are in full bloom.
The lighted night cherry blossoms reflected on the surface of the water in the moat are breathtaking beauty.
During the flowering season, an event is held by the Kajo Kan’o-kai Association and is crowded with many people.

★ Tendo Park (Mt. Maizuru)

This park is located on the top of Mt. Maizuru. The Tendo Cherry Blossom Festival is held every year under 2000 cherry trees.
A must-see is the “Human Shogi” where warriors and hips in armor and kimonos become shogi pieces.

★ Kaminoyama Castle (Tsukioka Park)

A beautiful cherry blossom landscape centering on Kaminoyama Castle.
From the Tsukioka Park, you can see the city and Zao mountain range.
Cherry blossom viewing is also recommended while taking a footbath. The castle tower and cherry blossoms are lit up during flowering.

② Three famous places with beautiful cherry blossoms at night

★ Mamigasaki riverside cherry blossom line

Along the Mamigasaki River that flows through the city, it is one of the most famous cherry blossom spots in the city, with approximately 2.3 km of cherry blossom trees.
The light is lit up about 830m from the downstream of Atago Bridge to the Atago Nursery in Kojirakawa, making it a popular spot for driving the cherry blossom corridor reflected in the light.

★ Kuratsu River weeping cherry trees

A row of weeping cherry trees that blooms about 1.4km on both sides of the Kurazu River. Lighted up over 720m during the flowering period, creating a fantastic night cherry blossom.
It is also recommended to take a walk here after entering the hot spring.

★ Sagae park

A park across Nagaokayama in the center of the city. There are many attractions in the park related to cherry blossoms, such as the Cherry Trees Hill and other famous cherry trees.
The cherry blossoms are lit up at night, and on April 20th (Saturday), there will be a tea party and a photo studio opened on the hill. It is also known as a filming location for the 2008 movie “The Cherry Orchard (Sakura no Sono)”.

③ Three famous spots with beautiful weeping cherry trees

★ Heisen-ji Temple

The two shidare sakura and benishidare weeping cherry trees on the grounds were designated as Municipal Natural Monuments because of their very large size and tree height of about 8m and about 15m.

★ Gongen-do weeping cherry trees

The petals of red are reminiscent of a graceful sunny outfit and are also called furisode sakura. The estimated 500 year old tree It is a Municipally Designated Cultural Property.

★ Kosenji Temple weeping cherry tree

This impressive 200-year-old old tree on the grounds of the temple has a height of about 10m and a branch spread of about 13m.

④ Rare cherry trees

★ Shinei Sakura

Japan’s only cherry tree that only blooms on Mt. Miyoshi in Kaminoyama.
At first it is light reddish white.
Mt. Miyoshi is also part of a kurort walking course

★ Miyama Kasumi Zakura​ ​

Did you know that there is a cherry tree in Yamagata that can only be seen here in the world?

In 2004, Mr. Seto Shikama, a staff at the Yamagata City Park Yasoen at that time, discovered a cherry tree that had grown naturally in the park was different from the others.
As a result of a survey by Hideaki Oba, a Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, it was found that a Miyama cherry tree and a Kasumi cherry tree were naturally crossed into a new species. This unique tree in the world was named Miyama Kasumi Zakura in August 2012.

⑤ Wild large cherry trees

★ Nishizao Ooyamazakura cherry trees

At the grazing ranch on the Nishizao plateau at an altitude of 600m, you can see the wild Ooyamazakura cherry trees scattered within the large area.