Each spring the usually closed grounds of the Osaka Mint Bureau open for a single week, allowing the public to walk a 560-metre path beneath more than 130 cherry trees representing around 350 varieties, many of them rare yaezakura (double-petal) cultivars. Because these late-blooming varieties flower after the common Somei Yoshino, the Mint walkthrough extends Osaka's sakura season into mid-April. The event is held in both daytime and illuminated evening sessions, and a traditional coin-design commemorative medal is sold exclusively during the period. Queues can be long, so early-morning visits are recommended.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Cherry Blossom
- Season
- Spring
- Month
- Mid April
- Region
- Kansai
- Prefecture
- Osaka
- City
- Osaka
Highlights
- ◆350+ rare cherry cultivars including stunning double-petal varieties
- ◆Extends hanami season beyond standard Somei Yoshino bloom
- ◆Evening illumination sessions along the 560 m path
- ◆Exclusive commemorative Mint medal available only during opening
- ◆Historic Meiji-era Mint Bureau as backdrop