3rd April 2019

The rain and wind arrived threatening to remove the blooming blossoms prematurely from the trees. After a delayed start and a slightly shortened itinerary we headed off on a hanami road trip. This was a quite a big deal for me as I hadn’t really driven much in Japan, but once I got a car with a decent English language Satnav we were good to go.

We drove West through the mountains to Lake Biwa. Our first stop was a town on the edge of Lake Biwa, Hikone. Hikone is quite an industrial town. Its main historical landmark is the Castle that sits proudly on a hill overlooking the lake. It is one of the oldest original construction castles in Japan. From the vantage point of the castle you can see the mountains behind the city and the lake. Its location and the 360 degree views from its grounds, make it feel more fortress like than the other castles we have seen in Japan. The gardens also add to make this a stand out castle. 

We indulged in a Sakura themed tea treat whilst in the Castle museum.

After staying the night in a traditional Ryokan our next location was Chikabu Island. Little known to international tourists it has a steady stream of Japanese visitors. Mum loves a boat trip so we were very lucky that the day was beautiful and calm. The island is the second largest island on Lake Biwa and is a nationally designated place of scenic beauty. 

The island has a long spiritual significance. The Southern part is home to Tsukubusuma shrine which is supposed to have been established in 420 whilst the temple is said to date from 724. Other significant buildings have been moved to the island over the years including the Kannon hall and an ornate gate. We climbed the many steps to admire the pagoda and enjoyed the temple activity of attempting to throw small dishes through the tori gate. It was really far and the dishes were very small and light. (That’s my excuse.) After a little shopping around the lovely historical port town of Nagahama, the next day we were headed for Kanazawa.

If you have the time Kanazawa is a must see when visiting Japan. It has several historical areas that show off the Edo period entertainments of Tea ceremony and Noh theatre. It also has a samurai district. The castle buildings are replicas but are pretty special as a complex and the Kenroku-en is one of the most famous, beautiful Japanese gardens there is. Our first stop once eventually finding a parking place that I could understand was the Ninja Temple. It was interesting, enlightening and very efficient. English heritage could definitely learn a few things from the tour guides.

Then what we came for - the cherry blossom. Thank goodness it was out and in full bloom! The magic of hanami is when the cherry blossom is out everywhere. Clouds of beautiful delicate flowers like a canopy a stars above. If you can find a quiet spot - as we found out 7 am is good, it is like being in an enchanted garden.

Before the crowds.

What a beautiful day!

After taking many many photos we had a a sit down and gold flaked icecream in the castle tearoom. 

Another thing that the Japanese do well is illuminations, so after enjoying the cherry blossom by sunlight it was time to see them at night. 

Having fully absorbed the hanami magic we returned to Nagoya. 

The blossom was starting to fall. On one last excursion we found another hanami site surprisingly close to where we live, Arakogawa Park. We stumbled across this park that follows the river and is lined with Cherry trees. The wind was pulling the petals off the tree and swirling them into beautiful eddies.