in Asahi, Toyama
Over 280 cherry blossom trees stretch along 1,200 meters of the Funagawa River in Asahi, Toyama. Visitors come from all over Japan each spring to see the vibrant tulips, rapeseed, snowy capped northern alps, and the cherry blossoms at Asahi Funagawa. The scene is known as the Spring Quartet. The cherry blossoms were planted in the 1950s by the locals as part of a revitalization project. Toyama also used to be the largest cultivator of tulips in Japan. However, currently only one farm, Yamazaki tulip farm remains. Starting from 2009, Yamazaki farm imported early blooming tulips from the Netherlands to plant so that they could bloom along side the cherry blossoms each year. They also planted fields of rapeseed or nanohana as well.
My Experience
We visited Asahi Funagawa in the second weekend of April. Luckily for us the cherry blossoms were in full bloom! We arrived early in the morning, so we were able to find parking without any trouble. We spent some time walking around the river enjoying the cherry blossoms first. There were a few people around, but it wasn't crowded at all. We saw some families picnicking on the stairs or by the riverbank. It takes over an hour and a half to walk along the river. We didn't go all the way down, but the cherry blossoms with the backdrop of Mt. Shirouma and Mt. Asahi was so beautiful! It really looks like a scene from a fairytale.
To the side of the cherry blossoms are fields of tulips and nanoha. I think not all of the tulips were in peak season, but it was still very beautiful when we visited! Apparently the locals help with the cultivation of tulips in this area. I would say the area by the tulips was the most crowded. There were many photographers sitting on the path, probably since morning, taking photos and videos. I even saw a camera man with a professional film camera! I wonder if they were shooting something for TV. The path is quite narrow though so it is a little different walking through the crowded areas. I also saw food stalls in the parking lots by the tulips, but we didn't really look around that area.
Overall I think this was one of my favorite places we visited during spring. The Spring Quartet view of the northern Alps, cherry blossoms, tulips, and nanohana was absolutely stunning. Although it was a bit crowded by the tulips, the area by the cherry blossoms was not very crowded. It was very peaceful and serene and you can enjoy a nice walk by the river while admiring the mountains in the distance and the tulips and nanohana on the side. I highly recommend visiting if you are in the area during spring!
Official Site
Address
Funagawashin, Asahi, Shimoniikawa District, Toyama 939-0729
Access
Tomari Station - 10 minutes by shuttle bus during cherry blossom season
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