Carriage Rides Beneath the Blossoms: The Kitakami Tenshōchi Sakura Festival

The towering cherry trees in Kitakami are almost a century old. (© Kitakami Convention and Visitor Bureau)

Sakura lining both sides of the road bloom into a beautiful “tunnel” in spring. (© Kitakami Convention and Visitor Bureau)

Scattering petals and carp streamers dance in the sky as a boat sails down the Kitakami River. (© Kitakami Convention and Visitor Bureau)

The “Demon Sword Dance” (oni kenbai), an Iwate folk tradition. (© Kitakami Convention and Visitor Bureau)

The sakura are illuminated for night viewing after dusk. (© Kitakami Convention and Visitor Bureau)

The Oni no Yakata has displays featuring demons from all over the world. (© Kitakami Oni no Yakata)