AreaMt. Zao

Insider's View of Hitome Senbon Zakura

白石川堤一目千本桜 | Hitome Senbon Zakura

1,000 Cherry Trees at a Glance

Photo by Mizuhi Horii

Photo by Jack Morrison

Photo by Jack Morrison

Photo by Jack Morrison

  • Jack Morrison

    Writer

    Mt. Zao

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    Last Update
    February 28, 2019

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  • The experience of viewing cherry blossoms in Ogawara is pink and oh-so relaxing! The thirty-five-minute train ride from Sendai Station travels parallel to the row of cherry trees for part of the journey, so you can start your hanami (cherry blossom viewing) experience before you even arrive!

    Welcome to the famous Hitome Senbon Zakura (lit. “one-thousand cherry trees in a glance.”) It’s actually more than a thousand trees, all planted in 1923. They stretch for about eight kilometres along both sides of the Shiroishi River. The grassy banks offer plenty of space to wander or find a quiet spot for a picnic. The most popular area is in front of the festival stalls, which offers musical and other forms of entertainment, as well as proximity to stalls selling classic Japanese festival food and drink—yakisoba noodles, dango (sweet rice dumplings), beer, and more!

    Enjoy views of the blossoms from the water while sitting on tatami mats under a canopy on a yakatabune boat (no reservation required). It feels like being in a valley looking up at mountains of cherry blossoms.

    I highly recommend strolling up the path towards Funaoka Station until you reach the elevated pedestrian footbridge that crosses the railway. Climb the stairs to treetop level and float amidst the blossoms, then continue up the hill to the Peace Kannon statue at the top. This will afford you a magnificent view of Ogawara, Mount Zao, and the fluffy pink cherry blossom canopies flanking the river.

    WEBSITEhttp://www.hitome-senbonzakura.com/

Details

ADDRESS

Ōgawara, Shibata-gun, Miyagi-ken

ACCESS BY PUBLIC TRANSIT

3-minute walk from Ogawara Station (Tohoku Line)

ADMISSION

Free

LANGUAGES

Limited English

HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE

Yes

HOURS

Always open (cherry blossoms peak early to mid-April)

CLOSED DAYS

None (food stalls and boat rides available only during cherry blossom season)

PHONE

0224-53-2141

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