Cherry blossoms at Tsutsujioka Park

The location of the cherry blossoms in full bloom changes depending on the season!? I went to the cherry blossom festival at Tsutsujigaoka Park! [Miyagi Prefecture]

It's about a 20-minute walk from the east exit of JR Sendai Station. It's about a 3-minute walk from Tsutsujigaoka Station on the JR Senseki Line

Tsutsujioka Park Cherry Blossom Festival
Tsutsujioka Park Cherry Blossom Festival

There you'll find Tsutsujigaoka Park, a representative cherry blossom viewing spot in Sendai City that can be enjoyed by everyone from families to office workers.
This time, we'll report on cherry blossom viewing at Tsutsujigaoka Park!


What are the highlights of the cherry blossoms at Tsutsumioka Park?

The best thing about cherry blossom viewing at Tsutsumioka Park is the length of time you can enjoy the flowers

Cherry blossoms at Tsutsujioka Park
Cherry blossoms at Tsutsujioka Park

Ichimoku Senbonzakura in Ogawara Town, Miyagi Prefecture, is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot characterized by its rows of cherry trees stretching as far as the eye can see

The varieties include Somei Yoshino, Shiroyamazakura, Yaezakura, and Sendai Yoshino, and they are generally in full bloom around mid-April. After that, Sendai enters a period of strong winds, so you'll only have about a week to enjoy them properly

On the other hand, while Tsutsujigaoka Park does have some well-known varieties of cherry blossoms such as Somei Yoshino and Edo Higan, the main variety is actually weeping cherry blossoms such as Yaebenishidare and Shidarezakura

Because the weeping cherry blossoms bloom about a week earlier than Somei Yoshino and Edo Higan cherry blossoms, you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing from early April when the weeping cherry blossoms bloom until late April when the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms fall

Furthermore, numerous lanterns hang throughout the park and remain brightly lit until 9 PM, making it ideal for viewing cherry blossoms at night

While the cherry blossoms aren't illuminated with bright lights, the natural light at night provides the perfect setting to rediscover their true beauty. There are also food stalls open, so enjoying a drink with friends is a great way to spend time together!


A surprise report on the Cherry Blossom Festival! But there's no parking!

So this time, I drove out with the intention of writing a report about my experience at the cherry blossom festival!

I made some rice balls, and now I'm all set!

We'll be leaving home at 9 AM!

But when we arrived, we were shocked! There was absolutely no parking!

Well, there are parking lots, but they're all completely full! There's absolutely nowhere to park!

And for good reason: that day, unfortunately, was the day of a highly anticipated match between Rakuten and SoftBank at Kobo Stadium Miyagi. The already limited parking spaces were completely full

I underestimated the parking situation in Sendai!

JR Nigatake Station
JR Nigatake Station

The parking lot I finally found was near Kuratake Station, three stops away on the JR Senseki Line. Parking fees in front of Sendai Station are far too expensive, so this was a necessary compromise. It was definitely too far to walk, so I decided to take the train


Weeping cherry trees and Somei Yoshino cherry trees are zoned!? Change your seating location depending on the season!

When we finally arrived at the park, the cherry blossom festival was in full swing.
As the Sendai specialty, the Sparrow Dance, paraded through the park, we spread out our sheets under the weeping cherry trees and began our cherry blossom viewing.
By mid-April, the weeping cherry blossoms were just beginning to fall, but there were still about 80% of them left, so we were able to fully enjoy them.

Cherry Blossom Festival
Cherry Blossom Festival

The zone in Tsutsumioka Park where the stalls are set up is mainly dedicated to weeping cherry blossoms, so many people were enjoying admiring the cherry blossoms that were just beginning to fall, but if you want to fully enjoy the cherry blossoms at this time of year, it's best to get a seat near the outer course

This is because the cherry blossoms around Tsutsumioka Park are blooming like a tunnel

Tunnel-like cherry blossoms
Tunnel-like cherry blossoms

The northern side, in particular, is less crowded and can be considered a hidden gem. Remember that the area near the stalls is best in early to mid-April, and the northern part of the outer course is best in mid to late April!


What I thought after going there! Tips for parking and finding a spot!

There are two main things that came to mind after attending the cherry blossom festival

  • I don't think there is a parking lot
  • Change your location depending on the season

Unless you leave extremely early in the morning, there's virtually no parking available. You'll have to either park in front of Sendai Station or hope to find a parking spot near a station further down the Senseki Line

Also, since the area is zoned according to the type of cherry blossom, you can enjoy it to the fullest by changing your spot depending on when you visit!

Tsutsujigaoka Park <Information>

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