Spring standard sightseeing in Japan is Hanami (cherry blossom picnic). Japanese cherry trees are cultivated for ornamental use and don’t produce any fruit.
Photographer Hiroike teaches us his treasured spots for cherry tree.

Large Hida region has a huge difference in temperature between each area, so we can enjoy cherry blossoms for a long time like from April to May. Even if the cherry blossoms will be expected to bloom later than ever in Japan, they in Hida may bloom as usual.
Well then, we are going to introduce the cherry blossom spots in order starting with the earliest blooming.

No 1. Along the Enako-river (Takayama city)

Around the midstream to the downstream of the Enako-river flows through the eastern part of Takayama, there are a lot of cherry trees. Some bridges are on the river, and you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing with alley tour.

No 2. Nawashiro-zakura (Gero city, Wasa)

Nawashiro was named after rice planting. When the cherry blossoms begin to bloom, the rice field has the full of water and is lighted up. The light up is very popular, so you have to bag a good spot to take a picture.

No 3. Iwataro Shidare-zakura (Gero city, Hagiwara cho, Shimi)

Mr. Iwataro planted this cherry tree. The tree spread their branches over the road, so it is called shidare-Zakura (weeping cherry tree).

No 4. Around Nakabashi-bridge (Takayama city)

You can enjoy the cherry blossoms with a famous red Nakabashi-bridge.
Local people wonder if they will bloom during Takayama festival with gorgeous floats (Apr 14 and 15) every year, but it usually blooms after the festival. If it is warmer than usual, you can see the three at once.

No 5. Kitayama Shidare-zakura (Takayama city, Kitayama)

Kitayama, in the northeast of Takayama, is unknown spot, so you can take a picture easily with few visitors.

No 6. Sakuragaoka Hachiman Shrine (Takayama city, Yamaguchi machi)

A lot of weeping cherry blossoms has been planted in the shrine, and you can take a picture easily with few visitors.

No 7. Garyu-zakura (Takayama city, Ichinomiya machi)

There are many visitors in the daytime, but few in the evening. The cherry tree is being illuminated by the light of JR Miya Station, so you will take a better picture with long exposure time.

No 8. Around Miyagawa-river in Sugisaki (Hida city, Furukawa cho)

There is a row of cherry trees along the Miyagawa-river, and you can take a picture easily with few cars.

No 9. Gosho-zakura in Sugisaki (Hida city, Furukawa cho)

When you visit Gosho (Imperial palace) in the evening, you can see the different view from the one in the daytime. The cherry trees are being illuminated and reflected in the rice field. We recommend you of taking a picture before it becomes dark (during afterglow and night).

No 10. Aoya Shinmei Shrine Shidare-zakura (Takayama city, Asahi machi, Aoya)

The cherry trees are being illuminated and reflected in the rice field and you can take a picture easily with few visitors.

No 11. Shokawa-zakura (Takayama city, Shokawa machi)

The blooming term is during Golden week holiday and all of visitors drive through the National Route 156 to visit here, so you will get stuck in traffic. This cherry tree has a long history for a name “the miracle cherry tree”. We recommend you getting some information before visiting.

No 12. Sumiyoshi Yama-zakura (Takayama city, Honmachi)

After the cherry blossoms fall, Sumiyoshi Yama-zakura(hill cherry) starts to bloom. The white flower turns to pink before falling.