Shimane Cherry Blossom Guide: Best Sakura Spots

Matsue Castle

Matsue Castle, where a majestic, jet-black surviving keep towers. The sight of about 200 Yoshino cherry trees blooming in profusion all at once along its moat, as if announcing the arrival of spring, radiates an overwhelming presence that seems to pack in all the beauty of Japan's spring. The contrast of the cherry blossoms reflected on the quiet, water-mirror-like surface of the moat and the national-treasure keep is truly "picturesque Japanese spring" itself. It's a beauty that makes you gasp each time you peer through the camera's viewfinder, leaving the finger pressing the shutter unable to stop. The reason Matsue citizens unanimously say "this is the best after all" no matter how many years pass clicks into place in an instant once you stand there.

Best Viewing Period

The viewing peak is usually late March to mid-April. Since the full-bloom period is fleeting at around just one week, the smart way to enjoy it is to build your travel schedule while frequently checking Shimane Prefecture's cherry blossom blooming information. The especially recommended time of day is early morning, 7 to 9 a.m. In this time slot when tourists have hardly arrived, a luxurious time awaits where you can almost monopolize the cherry blossoms and keep amid the fantastical scene of morning mist drifting on the moat's surface. The moment when the soft morning light faintly illuminates the cherry blossom petals will surely become a special moment carved long into your travel memories.

Illumination

When the sun sets, an illumination coloring the castle and moat begins, and Matsue Castle shows an entirely different expression. In contrast to the daytime gorgeousness, the mysterious beauty created by the pink cherry blossoms softly rising up in the dark night and the black keep is exceptional in a word. The alluring air drifting in the silence evokes an emotion different again from Matsue Castle by day. The sight of locals smiling and chatting with cans of beer in hand is also a warm atmosphere unique to spring Matsue Castle. This castle town has a generosity that lets travelers naturally blend into that circle too. Since the illumination's end time differs by year, check the latest information on the Matsue Castle official website in advance.

Access: Get off at the "National Treasure Matsue Castle" municipal bus stop from JR Matsue Station, about 5 minutes on foot. The sense of distance of about 15 to 20 minutes on foot from the station to the castle is actually just the right walking course. Accessing it on foot while leisurely gazing at the atmospheric townscape of the castle town is also one of the true joys of the trip.

Tip for Travelers: On full-bloom weekends, it's not uncommon for the parking lots around Shiroyama Park to fill up from early morning. To avoid the stress of congestion, using public transportation is by far more comfortable and recommended. Also, since early spring in Matsue has many chilly days called "hanabie (flower chill)," be sure to bring a lap blanket and a light jacket. Especially during the nighttime illumination viewing, the chill increases, so viewing with a warm drink in hand warms both body and heart.

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Izumo Taisha

Izumo Taisha, beloved from all over Japan as "the god of matchmaking." On its approach and shrine garden too, when the cherry-blossom season comes, soft pink flowers bloom, coloring the sacred space even more divinely. The cherry blossoms blooming in profusion against the vermilion great torii and the imposing shrine buildings overlap pure divine energy and the life-force of spring, evoking a special emotion that gently warms the depths of your chest. Quietly wishing for the bond of matchmaking under the cherry blossoms — what a tasteful, Izumo-like style of spring worship.

What's also not to be missed is the co-performance of the pine-lined approach and the cherry blossoms. The color harmony woven by the deep-green pines and the pale pink cherry blossoms is a spectacular sight unique to Izumo Taisha that you can never taste at other famous cherry blossom spots. In this scenery, which locals proudly describe as "flower viewing while watched over by the gods," it feels as if the essence of Shimane's spring is condensed. The cherry blossom viewing period is usually late March to early April. It's a luxurious spot where you can simultaneously savor the emotion of both worship and flower viewing.

Access

Transfer to the Ichibata Electric Railway from JR Izumoshi Station, and board the train bound for Izumo-Taisha-mae at "Kawato Station." After getting off at the terminal "Izumo-Taisha-mae Station," about 5 minutes on foot to arrive at the great torii. The travel time from JR Izumoshi Station is about 30 to 40 minutes. The Izumo rural scenery gazed at from the windows of the retro-atmosphere Ichibata Electric Railway also gently heightens the travel mood. On weekends during the cherry blossom season, temporary buses and increased service are sometimes operated, so checking the official information of the Ichibata Electric Railway and Ichibata Bus before departure gives peace of mind.

Tip for Travelers: Worship in the early-morning hours is relatively easy to avoid crowds and is recommended. The flow of finishing your worship and then enjoying lunch at a restaurant on Shinmon-dori has become established as the standard course for seasoned travelers. Long-established Izumo soba shops are dotted around Izumo Taisha, and if you slurp three-tier warigo soba after flower viewing, you can savor Shimane's spring in its entirety with all five senses. Also, souvenir shops related to matchmaking line Shinmon-dori, so do secure time for a leisurely stroll while shopping too.

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Mitoya River

Hidden in the shadow of famous tourist destinations like Matsue and Izumo, its nationwide fame may not be high. However, there's a place that local Shimane prefecture residents give a stamp of approval, saying "If you want to know the true beauty of cherry blossoms, you absolutely should go here." That is the row of cherry trees along the Mitoya River flowing through Unnan City. The experience where the cherry trees lined along both banks of the river draw an arch overhead, as if passing through a tunnel of flowers, is spectacular in a word. The sight of "flower rafts," where petals flutter down onto the river surface, is a secluded-feeling spectacular sight that, once seen, never vanishes from memory. It's a spot we want to recommend from the bottom of our hearts to those who want to leave the crowds and simply quietly face the cherry blossoms.

The viewing period is usually early to mid-April. Since it reaches its peak a little later than Matsue Castle and Izumo Taisha, a route of visiting it as the "spectacular finale" when building a Shimane cherry blossom trip as a two-day, one-night trip is ideal. The very time of leisurely strolling along the river and finding a favorite place just for yourself is the true way to enjoy the Mitoya River. Touching the gentle atmosphere where locals spread out potluck bento and enjoy flower viewing while raising laughter, Shimane's daily life and the happiness of spring, which you can't taste at tourist destinations, soak gently into your chest.

Nearby Gourmet

If you enjoy flower viewing along the Mitoya River, do bring a handmade flower-viewing bento using locally produced ingredients. At the nearby roadside station "Kakeya no Sato," you can casually purchase seasonal vegetables and side dishes produced in Shimane Prefecture, and pack the local taste straight into your bento. Also, within Unnan City there are restaurants where you can savor lunch using Shimane wagyu beef, and a plan of enjoying the brand beef Shimane boasts on the side of flower viewing is also exceptional. Even a single rice ball eaten with the murmur of the river as BGM somehow tastes far better than usual — that's the mysterious magic of outdoor flower viewing. This time of leisurely spending amid a flurry of cherry petals will surely become the most memorable scene of your Shimane trip.

Access: Access by taxi or rental car from "Kisuki Station" or "Minami-Daito Station" on the JR Kisuki Line is convenient. About 50 to 60 minutes by car from within Matsue City. Since it's an area a bit inconvenient with public transportation alone, if you're touring cherry blossoms within Shimane Prefecture, building a two-day, one-night route touring Matsue Castle, Izumo Taisha, and the Mitoya River by rental car is the most recommended style.

Tip for Travelers: Since parking space around the Mitoya River is limited, we strongly recommend an early arrival especially during the full-bloom period. Since some places along the river have unstable footing, choosing comfortable walking shoes such as sneakers is safe. Also, in early spring, the temperature drops sharply once the sun lowers, and it can get chilly without a jacket. Set out with full cold-weather measures. A warm canned coffee drunk while taking a relaxed breath amid the flurry of cherry petals will surely soothe the fatigue of your trip. May Shimane's spring be carved deeply and gently into your travel memories.