Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Japan Sakura Season: Early March Cherry Blossom Viewing in Shonan - Oide River (小出川)

Anette 10:52:00 PM Festival, Kanagawa, Sakura, Travel

Above: Sakura flowers by the Oide River

One of the most popular seasons to visit Japan is in spring when the cherry blossoms color the Japanese landscape with its pink cape. The timing of the sakura season changes depending on the area (sakura forecast for 2018 here) and the type of sakura. If you find yourself in the Kanto area you can see the Japanese national flower already in January in Atami and in February the flowers bloom in the southern part of Izu, Kawazu.

Above: The sakura trees, seen from the road

As a part of a small day trip to the Shonan area (south of Tokyo) I and some friends stopped by the Oide River (小出川) where they were having a small sakura festival.

Above: A sign that says Oide Sakura Festival

We were quite lucky with the timing, as most of the flowers were in full bloom. It seemed like some of the locals were enjoying flower-watching (hanami) by the river, but to be honest there wasn't that much going on there besides the little hanami.

Above: A blooming cherry tree with locals enjoying their hanami in the background.

Above: Visitors viewing the beautiful flowers.

Above: Sakura date with hubby

This is an event most recommended to those who have other plans in the vicinity. There are some entertainment scheduled during the festival period, but if you visit on a day without anything scheduled there honestly isn't that much to see besides the flowers. We got our nice cherry blossom pictures and headed over to Enoshima for some more in-depth sightseeing. If you find yourself in the Tokyo area early March and looking for opportunities to see the sakura it might be a good option as a part of a trip to Shonan.

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave any comments or questions below
- Anette

■ Basic Info

・Oide River Cherry Blossom Festival (小出川桜まつり)
・Event Page: http://www.city.chigasaki.kanagawa.jp/kankou_list/event/1006878.html (Japanese only)

Recommended Sakura View Hotels in Tokyo

More Tokyo hotels

Hotel Chinzanso
★★★★★
→ review
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Hotel New Otani Tokyo
★★★★★
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The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo
★★★★★
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Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa
★★★★
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About Anette
Anette came to Japan as an exchange student in 2010, met the love of her life and got stuck. From her base in Tokyo she writes about her experiences as a full-time worker in Tokyo and about her travels in Japan and abroad. She's a free-spirited adventurer who enjoys both the great outdoors and her urban lifestyle.