3/30/2007

Kakunodate used to a castle town that is well known for its samurai district. It is also a beautiful place to visit during the cherry blossoms festival because the place is just simply breathtaking with dots of pink and white blossoms sprinkling at every corner.

The beautifully preserved samurai district is a sight to behold. The samurai houses that are open to public preserved a picture of the past. Each of the samurai houses have a wooden fence around it. and along it lines rows of oak trees as well as weeping cherry blossoms. If you can imagine it, it’s just stunning. In side these samurai houses are little museums showcasing artifacts from the past. The most famous samurai house is the Ishiguro Samurai House, which was the former residence of Kakunodate’s most highest ranked family.

Kakunodate is the most famous hanami spot. Almost 1 million visitor throng the township this time of the year to appreciate the sakura falls.

During the Edo Period (1603-1868), several weeping cherry trees from distant Kyoto were brought to Kakunodate, where local samurai families tried to outperform each other in cultivating the most beautiful trees. Today, the sight of the many weeping cherry trees (shidare zakura) can be enjoyed in the former samurai district.

It is no wonder why Kakunodate is the most beautiful spot for cherry blossom viewing. The competition between these samurais in the past brought us lots to favor today :)

How to get to Kakunodate?
Within Kakunodate, you can just travel by foot since everything is practically next to each other. As for getting to Kakunodate from Tokyo, visit Tokyo-Kakunodate for more details.

Source: Japan Guide