The 27th Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled to be held. Japan’s Cherry Blossom season is about to start. People are beginning to wonder where to go to see the cherry blossoms. For those people, the Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival can be a great choice. Around 360 Kawazu-zakura trees cover the southern part of Mt. Matsuda. Also, these cherry blossoms will be in full bloom in mid-February, earlier than almost anywhere else near Tokyo. This is a big chance for people who want to see full-bloomed cherry blossoms as fast as possible.
The 27th Matsuda Festival is taking place from February 14th to March 8th, 9 am to 4 pm every day in the Nishihirabatake Park. Visitors have to pay an entry fee in order to enter the festival. For adults over 18, the fee is ¥500. Children under the age of 18, they have to pay ¥100 to enjoy the festival. Fortunately, children under 6 have the right to enjoy the festival for free. Furthermore, the residents of the town can also participate for free.
The festival originally started to celebrate the town’s early-blooming Kawazu-zakura trees, which were planted along the slopes of Mt. Matsuda in the 1970s and 1980s. Then, it developed into a festival where people from around the country visit to see the cherry blossoms since 1999. Its long history proves that it has been enjoyed for many years.
The route to get to the festival isn’t difficult. There are two main ways of getting to the festival. First, take the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku Station to Shin-Matsuda Station (1 hour 15 minutes) and then walk 20 minutes to the park. Alternatively, take the Ueno-Tokyo Line from Tokyo Station and stay on until it turns into the Tōkaidō Line. Change at Kōzu Station for the Gotemba Line and get off at Matsuda Station (1.5 hours), then it is a 15-minute walk to the park. It might take some time, but the beautiful pink sight of cherry blossoms totally rewards the long time taken.
