Matsuyama Castle, completed in 1627 and one of only 12 original unrestored feudal castles remaining in Japan, hosts a celebrated annual cherry blossom festival on its hilltop grounds. Approximately 200 somei-yoshino cherry trees surround the main keep, creating a classic composition of white blossoms against ancient stone walls. Evening illuminations transform the castle into a lantern-lit centrepiece visible across the city. The ropeway to the summit runs extended hours during the festival, and food and sake stalls line the castle grounds for traditional hanami picnicking.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Cherry Blossom
- Season
- Spring
- Month
- Late March – Early April
- Region
- Shikoku
- Prefecture
- Ehime
- City
- Matsuyama
Highlights
- ◆One of Japan's 12 original surviving feudal castles
- ◆200 cherry trees encircling the hilltop main keep
- ◆Nightly illuminations of blossoms and castle walls
- ◆Extended ropeway and chairlift hours during peak bloom
- ◆Hanami picnic stalls serving local Tobe-yaki ceramics and sake