Shiga Cherry Blossom Guide: Best Sakura Spots

Kaizu Osaki

Walking along the lakeshore on the northern bank of Lake Biwa, enveloped in the stillness of the inner lake, a world of pale pink suddenly spreads across your entire field of vision. A tunnel of cherry blossoms continuing for about 4 km — that is Kaizu Osaki, which shines as one of the "100 Famous Cherry Blossom Spots of Japan." It's no exaggeration to call it a very special gift that Shiga Prefecture delivers to travelers from all over the country each spring.

Yoshino cherry trees stretching their branches from the cliff toward the lake, as if trying to touch the water surface. The sight where their pale pink and the endlessly clear blue of Lake Biwa melt together makes you feel there is no place where the expression "takes your breath away" suits so well. The row of cherry trees reflected on the lake surface blurs the boundary between reality and mirror image, as if another spring were blooming within the water. Only after coming here can you say with pride that you've "seen the cherry blossoms" — such a special experience awaits.

If you board a sightseeing boat, you can look up at the cherry-blossom tunnel from an angle never visible from land. The wall of flowers viewed slowly from the water is in a different league in scale and beauty. If time and stamina allow, do savor the cherry blossoms of Kaizu Osaki from both perspectives.

Best Viewing Period

The viewing period is usually late March to mid-April, and the peak of full bloom is only about one week. This fleetingness too is one of the cherry blossoms' charms. Since the blooming time fluctuates greatly by year, it's wise to frequently check the latest information on the official websites of Shiga Prefecture and the local tourism association. Leaving a little room in your travel plan makes it easier to visit at the best timing.

The recommended time of day is, above all, the early morning. The fantastical air created by the surface of Lake Biwa with morning mist trailing and the pale pink cherry blossoms is like another world you can never meet during the day. Gazing at the cherry blossoms while breathing in the cold, clear air reaching from the lake, in a silence where tourists have hardly arrived yet, is truly a luxury you can monopolize. Here there is time to forget the busy everyday and simply soak in the beauty of nature.

Illumination

On nights during the full-bloom period, an illumination of the row of cherry trees is held. In contrast to the gorgeous bustle of daytime, Kaizu Osaki transforms its expression into a world of mysterious night cherry blossoms rising up on the jet-black lake surface. The moment when petals, gently swayed by the night breeze crossing the lake, flutter down illuminated by soft light is a special beauty you can absolutely never meet in daytime. You can't help but lose your words and can do nothing but burn the sight into your eyes.

What's quietly handed down among locals as a "connoisseur's way of enjoying it" is to visit during the magic hour right after sunset, when the illumination begins. The feast of color born when the cherry blossoms illuminated by light are added during the short time when the sky draws a gradient from orange to deep blue is so beautiful that even capturing it in a photo makes you sigh. Slowly savor the good fortune of being able to be present there.

Access and Tips for Travelers

About 30 minutes on foot, or about 10 minutes by taxi, from "Makino Station" on the JR Kosei Line. During the flower-viewing season, a temporary sightseeing boat (between Makino and Kaizu Osaki) is sometimes operated, and flower viewing from the boat is so popular that reservations usually fill up immediately each year. We strongly recommend inquiring early with the official website or the tourism association.

On weekends and during the full-bloom period, the surrounding roads are often hit by serious congestion, so using public transportation is the wise choice. If you're planning an early-morning visit, staying the night before and taking lodging around Makino means no burden of travel, and you can also more reliably enjoy the cherry blossoms in the morning mist.

As advice on what to bring: comfortable walking sneakers, a light jacket that can cope with the morning and evening chill, and, if possible, do bring a telephoto lens. Shooting by drawing in the cherry blossoms on the opposite shore across the lake surface produces a more fantastical shot with the compression effect. In the season when petals dance, those with allergies should not forget a mask either.

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Nagahama Castle

Have you ever seen the springtime figure of Nagahama Castle, standing dignified by the shore of Lake Biwa, enveloped in cherry blossoms? The scenery of "Hokoen," where about 600 cherry trees bloom proudly centered on this white-walled keep built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, is a spectacular sight symbolizing Shiga's spring, where the three protagonists of history, nature, and the lake miraculously overlap. Amid scenery picturesque from any angle, when the imagining suddenly crosses your mind — "Did Hideyoshi too see such a spring scene?" — history feels much closer.

The expanse of Lake Biwa commanded from the keep through the full-bloom cherry blossoms captivates not only history lovers but also the hearts of travelers who aren't, and won't let go. Do carve the all-too-luxurious combination of castle, cherry blossoms, and lake into your camera and your memory to your heart's content. The viewing period is usually late March to early April. Since Nagahama has a slightly higher temperature than Kaizu Osaki, the blooming can be a few days earlier. Here too, frequently check the official information.

Access

About 10 minutes on foot from "Nagahama Station" on the JR Biwako Line — its good access is also one of Nagahama Castle's big charms. You can visit lightly with minimal luggage. On the way from the station toward Hokoen, you encounter a glass-craft townscape making use of old merchant houses called "Kurokabe Square." This area, where refined shops and cafes line up among moist historic buildings, is charming enough to be a travel destination in itself. Strolling leisurely before and after the cherry-blossom viewing is the Nagahama way of spending spring that the locals taught us.

Hokoen also shows liveliness on weekends and holidays during the flower-viewing season, but on a weekday morning, there are few tourists, and you can leisurely enjoy flower viewing in a quiet park. When going up to the keep, using the combination ticket with the Nagahama Castle History Museum is a deal. After enjoying the cherry blossoms and spectacular scenery, knowing Nagahama's history more deeply adds much depth to your trip.

Savoring Spring with Local Gourmet

A trip to Nagahama becomes even richer by eating. The local dishes that make full use of the blessings of Lake Biwa — "noppei udon" and "yaki-saba somen (grilled mackerel somen)" — are tastes of Shiga you can encounter only here. One bite, and the realization that you're traveling spreads gently through your body.

At restaurants around Kurokabe Square, some shops also appear selling flower-viewing bento that lavishly use local ingredients. Spreading out a sheet in the shade of cherry trees and having a handmade bento full of warmth while feeling the spring breeze reaching from the lake will surely become a memory irreplaceable for any luxury-restaurant lunch. Those who like sweets, don't miss the Japanese sweets of Nagahama's famous "Tsuruya Seika." Since spring-limited items are limited in number, we recommend dropping by in the early-morning hours. Eat, walk, gaze — savor Nagahama's spring with all five senses to the fullest.

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Hikone Castle

Hikone Castle, which has a national treasure keep, is one of the finest masterpieces of Japanese castle architecture. And in spring, about 1,200 cherry trees surround that majestic castle, giving birth to a spectacular sight found nowhere else, where ruggedness and gorgeousness miraculously coexist. The way the Yoshino cherries and mountain cherries blooming in profusion along the inner moat softly wrap the solid stone walls and the imposing keep is an overwhelming beauty that the words "flower-viewing spot" can never contain. A place where visitors can't help but set up their cameras, and before they know it, stand still and unable to move for a while.

The viewing period is usually late March to early April. Hikone Castle's cherry blossoms are many in variety, and because the mountain cherries reach their peak around when the Yoshino cherries begin to fall, a welcome point is that you can often enjoy the cherry blossoms over a somewhat longer period than usual.

Recommended Ways to Enjoy

Visiting in the 6 a.m. hour in the early morning is a secret known only to local connoisseurs. Walking along the inner moat in the time of day when tourists have hardly arrived yet, you can almost monopolize the spectacular sight where the cherry blossoms and the inverted figure of the keep reflected on the quiet water surface are perfectly drawn. In the morning light, the scene where the pink of the cherry blossoms, the white of the keep, and the blue of the water surface quietly melt together will surely become a shot that makes you think from the heart, the moment you capture it, "I'm glad I came."

Widely known even among locals as a famous photography point is the angle of looking up at the keep from in front of the Hikone Castle Museum. The cherry blossoms set off the keep like a natural frame, and each time you press the shutter, postcard-like photos are born. First-time visitors too, do be sure to catch at least this spot.

Also, during the period of the "Hikone Castle Cherry Blossom Festival," a nighttime illumination is held. Do see with your own eyes the fantastical and somehow alluring Hikone Castle at night, different from its dignity by day.

Access and Tips for Travelers

About 15 minutes on foot from "Hikone Station" on the JR Biwako Line. If you rent a bicycle in front of the station, you can tour spring Hikone efficiently and rhythmically from Hikone Castle as a base, all the way to "Yumekyobashi Castle Road" and the nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty "Genkyuen." Genkyuen is Hikone Castle's garden, a hidden famous spot where you can see the collaboration of the keep and cherry blossoms reflected in the pond. It's especially recommended as a hidden gem for those who want to avoid crowds too.

At the peak of the flower-viewing season, especially on full-bloom weekends, there can be a wait until entry. Checking the official website for whether advance ticket purchase online is possible lets you avoid extra stress on the day. The castle grounds have continuous stone pavement and stairs, and the climbing stairs to the keep are quite steep. Comfortable clothing and comfortable walking shoes are absolutely essential preparation. Enjoy walking slowly at a comfortable pace, savoring each step.

Wrapping Up Shiga's Spring with Nearby Gourmet

"Yumekyobashi Castle Road," which strongly retains the atmosphere of a castle town, is the perfect place for the finale of viewing Hikone Castle. B-grade gourmet you can casually enjoy while walking, such as croquettes and skewers using Omi beef, lines the street, and the temptation of street food never ceases. Liquor shops that carefully stock Shiga's local sake are also dotted about, and the time of searching for a favorite bottle to wrap up your trip is also delightful. Admiring cherry blossoms, savoring gourmet, and reflecting on history — Shiga's spring is much deeper and richer than you imagined. "I'll definitely come here again next year too." It will surely be a trip where you head home with such a resolution in your heart.