in Ina City, Nagano
Takato Joshi Park was built on the ruins of Takato Castle in Ina City, Nagano. The park was founded by old samurais of the Takato domain in the 1800s. They planted cherry blossom trees in order to revive the castle. Today there are currently over 1,500 cherry blossom trees in the park. The trees in the park are a special variety of cherry blossom trees known as Takato Kohigan Zakura. It is known for its pale pink color and small, delicate petals. The park is considered one of the three best cherry blossom viewing sites in Japan and over 200,000 visitors come to the parks each year to see the cherry blossoms at Takato Joshi Park.
My Experience
We visited Takato Joshi Park in the second weekend of April. We visited once in the morning and in the evening. We got to the park about 15 minutes before the parking opened in the morning and there was already a line of cars down the hill forming! I was surprised at how crowded it was despite being so early. Luckily we didn't have to wait too long and found parking at one of the lots nearby. We were only allowed to stay until 10 am though, probably since there are so many people visiting the park during this period.
There are many scenic areas in the park, but the most famous spot is the Ounkyo bridge in the park's center. The bridge is surrounded by beautiful, pink blossoms on both sides making it seem like you are walking through fluffy pink clouds! It truly is a very beautiful area and photographer's dream! The area is incredibly crowded though, so I recommend visiting on a weekday if possible, because the weekends are so busy! The area underneath the bridge is equally as beautiful as you can see the cherry blossoms in the sky with the bridge, as well as their reflection on the small pond below.
Aside from the bridge area, there are multiple spots in the park where you can see an amazing view of the city and even the Alps in the background. The park is located on the side of a hill, so the view from the park is so pretty, especially during sunset and sunrise. There are also many food stands located in the park. The place is a popular area for those of all ages. We saw many families and couples visiting and it was an overall very lively and fun atmosphere. We spent a couple hours walking around the park.
The cherry blossoms are illuminated each night from 6:00 pm and the light up runs until 10:00. When went to the park in the evening, we had to wait over an hour for parking! It was so crowded, but luckily we were able to get a parking spot. Even though we moved rather slowly up the view up the hill, we could enjoy the view of the city and the sunset while waiting. The bridge area was extra crowded at night and I can understand why! The bridge with the cherry blossoms illuminated from below was such a gorgeous scene. I wish I could've taken more pictures but the crowd got to be too much for me!
Over all Takato Joshi Park is a very beautiful and scenic area. I really love the Takato Kohigan Zakura as their soothing pale pink color and fluffy dense blossoms are so unique and charming. It looks like something out of a fairytale! I highly recommend visiting during cherry blossom season if you get the chance! Just be prepared for the crowd!
Official Site
Address
810-1 Takatomachi Nishitakato, Ina, Nagano 396-0211
Access
Takato Bus Stop - 20 minute walk
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