Count on the locals to know where are the beautiful yet little known places
Another year, another spring, another chance to witness beautiful sakura flowers come into bloom. We've got our very own pink and white paradise at Gardens by the Bay this year, and we're lucky to have even more cherry blossoms to marvel at not too far away from us in Japan. If you're traveling to Japan, you may find that you can easily follow the crowds to a popular cherry blossom viewing spot. The tougher question is, where are the places where you can see beautiful blooms and still be able to enjoy them intimately, away from the crowds? They are not hard to find; you just need to know who to ask. The local residents of Japan themselves have recommended the following 10 hidden gems to give you that unique, magical cherry blossom viewing experience.
Mark down the locations and make your plans now, because the sakura season in Japan is so nearly here!
7. Ryuko-ji Temple, Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture
The Ryuko-ji temple in Kanagawa is one of the rare places where you can see both the retro Enoshima Electric Railway (aka Enoden) train and beautiful cherry blossoms together, at the same time. That’s because the temple is just a few minutes’ walk from Enoshima station, and the train passes near the Buddhist temple’s entrance gate, which is decked out in pink with big cherry trees when spring arrives. More blooms can be found inside, around the very well-preserved shrines and a majestic five-story pagoda tower. It’s a great place to get to know some Japanese history while basking in the cherry blossom display.
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