Top 5 Cherry Blossom Spots in Hokkaido
Matthew Baxter
Coming to Tokyo or Kyoto a little bit too late for the cherry blossoms? Maybe coming to Hokkaido is your solution. The season starts here from around mid-April to the end of the month. There are a host of cheap and free places to check out the sakura trees, but here are our highlights!
Goryokaku (Hakodate)
This fort was based on western designs, so a sakura experience here is rather unique for most visitors. The over 1000 cherry blossom trees have made it the best sakura spot in Hokkaido.
Matsumae Castle
The only real, traditional Japanese castle in Hokkaido is a great place for cherry blossom viewing. Loads of different sakura trees.
Access: Take a bus from Kikonai station (95 mins, 1370 yen) south of Hakodate. A direct bus from Hakodate is 2150 yen (3 hours).
Odori Park (Sapporo)
Sapporo’s famous park stretches across the city and is a good place to see cherry blossoms for free. Lots of stalls along the way provide cheap food and drinks as well.
Moerenuma Park (Sapporo)
This fabulous art park creates a truly unique cherry blossom experience, with dense forests of sakura trees surrounded by striking, modern architecture and art.
