Experience Cherry Blossom Spring · Late March to Early April

Ritsurin Kōen Spring Hanami

Takamatsu · Kagawa · Shikoku

Ritsurin Kōen, designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, contains roughly 200 cherry trees including Somei Yoshino and weeping varieties that frame the garden's six ponds and thirteen hills. The combination of manicured pine trees, traditional teahouses, and mirror-like water makes spring reflections particularly spectacular. The park hosts a dedicated Cherry Blossom Festival each April with traditional music performances, tea ceremony demonstrations, and illuminated night hanami sessions. A rowboat ride on Nanko Pond surrounded by blossoms is a signature experience.

Type
Experience
Category
Cherry Blossom
Season
Spring
Month
Late March to Early April
Region
Shikoku
Prefecture
Kagawa
City
Takamatsu

Highlights

  • Over 200 cherry trees including rare weeping varieties
  • Nighttime sakura illumination events during the Cherry Blossom Festival
  • Rowboat hire on Nanko Pond among blossoming trees
  • Traditional matcha tea ceremony in historic Kikugetsu-tei teahouse
  • UNESCO-recognised garden listed among Japan's top three landscape gardens