Photographed on April 4, 2026. This is LEC COFFEE’s matcha Basque cheesecake with cherry blossom topping. It smells of cherry blossoms. 😊🍵🌸

Would you like to visit Komu during Golden Week? At the Forest Museum Komu, we are holding the Golden Week Festival again this year🎉 The festival runs for three days from Sunday, May 3 to Tuesday, May 5. Activities change each day! - May 3 (Sun) Naruko (wooden clapper) workshop 🪚 These are the naruko used by dancers in the Yosakoi Festival. You will use a coping saw and hammer to make them, so please participate with a guardian. ① 11:00 AM / ② 1:30 PM Duration: about 30 minutes Capacity: 4 groups per session Fee: 500 yen; register on the day Location: Komu woodwork room - May 4 (Mon) 11:00 AM – Kihako Live♪ Location: Kim no Shima Kihako, who visited Komu in December 2024, returns! They plan to perform children’s songs and original pieces. You’re sure to be enchanted by Kihako’s gentle tones. - May 5 (Tue) Setoushi-kun coloring experience 🖍️ We offer several coloring sheets featuring Nishiokoppe Village’s character Setoushi-kun. The first 100 children (ages 3 to elementary school) will receive an original Setoushi-kun crayon as a gift! ① 10:00 AM–12:00 PM / ② 1:00 PM–2:00 PM A coloring area will be set up somewhere inside the Komu building. Entry and exit are free, so feel free to join anytime. - We look forward to your visit. - Forest Museum Komu Opening hours: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM Closed: every Tuesday *During Golden Week the museum is open through Wednesday, May 6. It will be closed on Thursday, May 7. Admission fees: High school and older: 500 yen 4th grade to middle school: 300 yen Ages 3 to 3rd grade: 100 yen Under 3: free Inquiries: 0158-87-2600 #Forest Museum Komu #GW Festival #Komu

On April 3, on the second day of a business trip to Toyama, I stopped by Matsukawa, where the cherry trees were in full bloom, just before returning home to Chiba. The setting sun sank into the valley lined with cherry trees covering Matsukawa, blending with the blossoms to create a mysterious gradient. Moved by the fleeting changes in the light, I kept pressing the shutter.

Having studied in Japan for two years, I visited Chidorigafuchi for the first time and met the night cherry blossoms for the first time as well. Under the lights, the sakura no longer seemed merely soft in daylight; they quietly glowed in the night like stars overhead. Layers of blossoms reflected on the water as small boats drifted through, and time itself seemed to slow. In that moment, I only wanted to keep this tranquil, flowing spring in my memory.

In Japan there is a ceremony called omiyamairi in which people pray at a Shinto shrine for a baby’s healthy growth. Since it takes place about one month after birth, it is not limited to spring, but my grandchild born last November had their omiyamairi in March after several postponements when the weather warmed. Held by my wife, the child’s paternal grandmother, the baby received a blessing from the Shinto priest. On the same day we also celebrated the older sister’s Shichi-Go-San, for which she was dressed up. It is rare for grandparents from both the father’s and mother’s sides to gather, so we had a catered meal at our son’s home. The children’s bento was especially lavish. In rural Japan, these old-fashioned customs still remain.

I gave up on the famous cherry blossom spot a ten-minute drive away because its parking lot was full, so I took photos along an ordinary roadside on the way back home. In Japan, spring means cherry trees line the streets everywhere, not just at famous sites.

Photographed on April 4, 2014. This is LEC COFFEE’s Cherry Blossom × Espresso Latte. It features espresso, milk, and cherry blossom sauce, topped with cherry blossom chocolate. The latte art shaped like a cherry tree is truly lovely. 😊☕️🌸

At a park near Mount Fuji filled with blooming flowers, I took photos with my wife and our beloved dog. It was extremely crowded, and I contracted COVID-19 after returning home, but since it became a pleasant spring memory, I’m okay with it 🤣

[Spring Stop] Cherry blossoms in full bloom decorated the stops (stations) along the TodenArakawaLine (Tokyo Sakura Tram). The tram offers an all-day ticket for just 400 yen, making it very affordable, and there are many sights to see from Minowa Station to Waseda Station. Lately I have been photographing it as a lifelong project. At night, when the nightscape takes over, the overhead wires seem to disappear and a different scene appears.

"Spring Reflections" This is Suijin Shrine in Toride. A little promontory juts out by the river, creating a postcard-perfect scene.

Spring Corridor This is Shimizu Park in Chiba. It is famous for its field athletics course, and in spring cherry blossoms and yamamomo (Japanese bayberry) bloom in profusion, creating a beautiful scene. The autumn foliage is also striking.

The cherry blossoms in the garden of the Sakura no Mon welfare center were in full bloom. Two cherry trees welcomed us like a gate.

"To the ends of the earth! To the ends of the earth!" Along the nearby Edogawa embankment, fields of rapeseed flowers stretch for many kilometers each spring, dressing the banks in yellow. Many people visit on holidays to take commemorative photos. The blooms last a long time, so please come by if you can~~♪

The soft breeze swayed the fields of spring color stretching as far as the eye could see. It was a scene that made me pause, a sight like that. I was captivated by the gentle hues spreading across this lovely world. 🌸🌷

This photo was taken at Kansui Park in Toyama on April 2, when I traveled to Toyama on a business trip. It feels like a scene from somewhere that isn’t quite a photograph.

The nanisaki (Naniwazu) flowers have begun blooming on the shores of Utonai-ko (Lake Utonai). Even though the snow has melted, the northern landscape still lacks much green, and the yellow blooms brighten it cheerfully. (Image provided by Lake Utonai Wildlife Center)

Meguro River Night cherry blossoms and the Meguro River, lit crimson by lanterns. The cherry trees in full bloom are still vibrant. In a week, the river will take center stage as petals drift like a floating raft of flowers.

Sumida Park A row of cherry trees at dusk caught my eye, and I stopped at a particularly dark patch among them. Looking more closely, countless pigeons perched on a black tree of twisted branches, with no flowers or leaves. At first glance, it was a little bit like a horror scene. Beneath my feet, fresh green shoots; above, a canopy of pink cherry blossoms; in the distance, the Skytree gleaming in the sunset—and so many pigeons. Although the composition should have felt lively, the image took on an eerie quality, producing a strangely contrasting shot.

Shinobazu-ike Bentendo Temple After the rain, the sky is a striking blue. The cherry trees around Shinobazu Pond are blooming a little later than elsewhere in Tokyo; many blossoms that withstood the wind and rain remain as buds, so they are about 90 percent in bloom. Though the spring breeze shakes the branches, the petals remain strong and vibrant. It’s a scene of spring in full bloom.

Lured by the warm, sunny weather, I looked down to find bright dandelions in bloom!! These spring flowers have long been beloved in Japan🌼 Their yellow petals shine like the sun, and just looking at them lifts your spirits. The fluffy seed heads getting ready to drift on the breeze also bring a uniquely seasonal sense of charm✨️

The cherry blossoms on the Hirasogen Plain in Shirahamacho, Wakayama Prefecture are in full bloom. The full moonlight revealed the blossoms, making them appear to float.

April 3rd The Somei-yoshino cherry trees at Azumino’s scenic spot Jitensha Hiroba have begun to bloom They are still opening here and there It will be delightful to see them in full bloom alongside the pink moss (shibazakura)!

Weekend cherry-blossom guide! Sakura bloom update photographed April 2–3 🌸 1. Denkyu-ji Temple A mix of weeping cherry and Oyama cherry fills the garden in front of the main hall. When the weeping cherry is in full bloom, the garden becomes a sea of blossoms. Bloom status: Full bloom ※Photographed April 2 Location: 1000 Shinonoi Kinebuchi, Nagano City Parking: Available 2. Kourinji Temple A roughly 300-year-old weeping cherry stands here, and you can also enjoy some Someiyoshino cherry trees. Many visitors photograph the impressive trees alongside the temple. Bloom status: Full bloom ※Photographed April 2 Location: 2329 ShinonoiKomatsubara, Nagano City Parking: Available 3. Matsushiro Castle Ruins Matsushiro Castle was the residence of the Sanada clan. About 100 cherry trees set against the late-Edo castle grounds create a striking sight. Sakura light-up: April 4 (Sat)–April 13 (Mon), 18:00–21:00 Bloom status: 50% bloom ※Photographed April 2 Location: 44 MatsushiromachiMatsushiro, Nagano City Parking: Available Municipal Tonomachi Tourist Parking: 7 large buses, 50 regular cars, 2 disabled spaces Matsushiro Castle North Parking (north side of Matsushiro Castle, 5-minute walk): 10 large buses, 60 regular cars, 2 disabled spaces 4. Kawanakajima Battlefield Historic Park This battlefield is famous for the clashes between Takeda Shingen and Kenshin Uesugi. About 100 Someiyoshino cherry trees make this a great hanami spot. Sakura light-up: After bloom until April 11 (Sat), 18:00–21:00 Bloom status: 30% bloom ※Photographed April 2 Location: 1384-1 Kojimada, Nagano City Parking: Available (Park parking is expected to be crowded. Please refrain from parking without permission at nearby facilities.) 5. Shiroyama Park Adjacent to the east side of Zenkoji Temple, this is Nagano City’s premier cherry-viewing spot, with about 470 Someiyoshino trees in bloom. The cherry tunnel at full bloom is stunning! Bloom status: 20–30% bloom ※Photographed April 3 Location: Hakoshimizu, Nagano City Parking: Available Parking 1 (155 spaces), Parking 2 (123 spaces), Parking 3 (155 spaces) 料金: 100 yen for up to 20 minutes, then 100 yen added every 20 minutes ※Visitors using the park or zoo who present the Nagano City Child-Rearing Passport get up to 2 hours free Other: Matsushiro Tojo apricot blossoms On clear days you can view apricot fields with the Northern Alps as a backdrop. You can stroll here with your dog. Bloom status: Full bloom ※Photographed April 2 Location: MatsushiromachiHigashijo, Nagano City Parking: Available (free) Other: Roukaku Plum Garden in Shinshu-Shinmachi The white plum blossoms are beginning to fall, but the red plums are still at their best. Enjoy the contrast with the Saikawa River. Bloom status: Beginning to fall ※Photographed April 2 Location: Shinshu Shinmachi, Nagano City Parking: Available ※Free admission to the garden from Sunday, March 22 to Sunday, April 5 ※The Nagano Tourism net website provides sakura bloom information for Nagano City! 🌸Please use it as a reference for your hanami🌸 #cherry blossoms #hanami #bloom #Nagano City #Nagano tourism

This is a photo taken at a spot I came across while traveling in the Donan area. Bathed in soft light, it was a moment when my heart eased just a little. In the gentle spring air, ordinary moments felt special, and I felt a serene Japanese calm that made me want to cherish it somehow.

This is a pinwheel next to the main hall of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. It is said to represent the cloud motif that serves as Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine’s crest.

I visited Tokiwa Shrine in Mito ⛩ In the peaceful shrine grounds, cherry blossoms bloom as if covering the sky 🌸 Historic buildings and pale pink hues Truly a spring scene Japan can be proud of May this gentle light and color reach someone’s heart across the sea.

This is the pinwheel next to the main hall of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. It is said to be inspired by cherry blossoms. 🌸

From a hill above the residential area, you can see many Kawazu cherry blossoms in full bloom, and from the high ground the Tokaido Shinkansen and Suruga Bay also offered beautiful views.

I attended the monthly ceremony at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine today. These are the pinwheels in the corridor beside the main hall. The photos were taken in March.

Mud play at the “Sky Terraced Rice Fields” with ocean views! 🌿🌊 Join us on Sunday, April 19th for a one-day Rice-Planting Trial Tour—participants wanted! ✨ This special event aims to develop a future hands-on experience program. After planting in this stunning location, everyone will enjoy a delicious lunch together! 🍚🥢 Children and adults alike—come ready to get muddy and have fun 😊 📍 Location: 3315 Shiki, Reihoku (We will send directions to the exact experience site to those who register) ⏰ Time: 10:00–12:00 💰 Fee: 1,000 yen (includes insurance and lunch) Sign up via the link in our profile (Tourism Association website) or the QR code on the flyer! 📲