Japan’s Top 100 Blossoms: Tsurugajō Park (Fukushima)

Tsurugajō, which has long served as a symbol of the Aizu region, is a renowned castle that came under a month-long siege during the 1868 Boshin War. The building was renovated in 2011 to restore its pre-Meiji, red-tiled roofs—the only castle in Japan with such a color—creating a more striking contrast with the light pink blossoms in springtime.

The festival held during the sakura season is among the most spectacular in east Japan, as the entire park, with its castle and 1,000cherry trees, is illuminated at night.

Tsurugajō Park (Fukushima)

• Varieties: Somei yoshino, yaezakura, shidarezakura, etc.
• No. of trees: 1,000
• When: Mid- to late April
• Hours: Castle museum 8:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
• Admission: Castle museum ¥410
• Address: 1-1 Outemachi, Aizuwakamatsu-shi, Fukushima
• Website: Fukushima Prefecture Tourism and Local Products Association

Nearby hanami sites

• Miharu Shidarezakura
• Kasumigajō Park
• Spring’s Blossoms Arrive at Last in Japan’s Northeast

Near Tsurugajō Park

• Takayu Onsen, Fukushima: Free-Flowing Waters With a Focus on Health
• An Exercise in Eccentricity: The Aizu Sazaedō “Double-helix Maze”
• The Timeless Charms of Aizu: Mukaitaki Ryokan, Higashiyama Hot Springs

Sakura 100: Japan’s Best Blossoms

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Aizuwakamatsu Tourism Bureau.)