Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival - Cherry Blossom Festival in Kawazu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture

The Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual early-blooming cherry blossom festival held in Kawazu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture, featuring one of Japan's most unique sakura varieties. The star of this festival is the "Kawazu Sakura," a special cherry blossom variety discovered by chance by local residents in 1955 and officially designated as the town tree in 1975. These cherry blossoms begin blooming about a month earlier than typical sakura, featuring beautiful deep pink large petals, and continue blooming for approximately one month, making them beloved by many people. The cherry blossom avenue created by approximately 850 Kawazu cherry trees planted along the Kawazu River for about 4 kilometers is truly a spectacular sight. The cherry blossom tunnel blooming on both sides of the river invites visitors into a pink world. The "Nanohana Road" is particularly popular, where the yellow rapeseed flowers and pink cherry blossoms create a beautiful contrast, making it a photogenic landscape beloved by many tourists. Night cherry blossom illumination is also held, allowing visitors to enjoy the fantastic beauty of sakura that is completely different from the daytime experience. During the festival period, approximately 150 food stalls line the riverside, offering various gourmet options including local specialties such as citrus fruits, wasabi, and dried fish, as well as sakura mochi and craft beer. The excellent accessibility, just a few minutes' walk from Kawazu Station on the Izukyu Line, is one of its attractions, with access from Tokyo taking about 2 hours and 40 minutes by the limited express "Odoriko." Additionally, Kawazu Town is also famous as a hot spring area, allowing visitors to relax and heal their fatigue in hot springs after cherry blossom viewing. The Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the events that symbolizes Japan's sakura culture. Due to its early-blooming characteristic, it provides a precious experience of feeling the arrival of spring a little earlier during the still cold period from February to early March. The Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival, where cherry blossoms, hot springs, gourmet food, and the warm hospitality of local people come together, is a special place where visitors can fully enjoy Japan's beautiful seasonal transitions.