Tag Archives: #桜雲橋

JP 2019 April Sakura Takato Castle Ruins Park

Takato Castle Ruins Park (高遠城址公園)

2nd visit since 2017 when sakura started blooming when we visited 2 years ago.

Though I had timed my visit (in this season) based on the local sakura forecast in early March, it was a few days – probably 3 to 4 days prior to full bloom.

Checked out from onsen hotel in Suwa-ko and headed to Takato Castle by car. It was a sunny day (after the low depression system had moved away), though with snow on roadside.

After about 30min we arrived at a dyke in Ina city – 六道の堤 . It was grateful to be back after 2 years with sakura in bloom 🙂

 

Finally, in another 20min arrived at the Takato Castle at around 10am.  The closest parking lot was almost full.  Loads of tourists were subsequently ferried in by tour buses after our arrival.

There were 1500 sakura trees of Takato-Okohiganzakura (タカトオコヒガンザクラ). A top 100 sakura spot. In the featured photo was the famous Ounkyo (桜雲橋) – literally Sakura cloud bridge, at around 30-50%.  Due to snow, entry was forbidden beneath the Ounkyo.

 

 

To our surprise, the sakura outside the southern gate were almost at full bloom, as reported on its website. And there was a sakura tunnel beneath the Takato Arts Museum.

 

Though there were other famous sakura spots and trees around the Castle Park, most were less than 50%.  Sticking to my original plan, we headed to Fuji 5-lake. Picked up a car in Kofu. Dropped by Takeda Jinja before heading to onsen hotel in Kawaguchi-ko.

 

Takeda Jinja (武田神社)

Sakura had passed peak and petals were falling inside the Jinja, though the sakura boulevard in front of the entrance looked gorgeous from a distance.

 

 

===>   Fuji 5-lake  ===>