Spring time is a beautiful season in Japan. There are famous cherry blossom sights all over the country that bring a large influx of domestic and foreign guests to view these stunning trees.

In Yamanashi, the most famous spot for cherry blossom viewing is the Kawaguchiko area where the Sakura festival starts on the 14th of April and runs for two weeks.

However, there are some other beautiful spots only 30 minutes away from Kawaguchiko in the Fuefuki region of Yamanashi that are just as stunning.

A popular spot in Fuefuki city for cherry blossom viewing is Furusato park in Yatsushiro which is around 20mins drive from Kofu city. The park overlooks the Southern Alps mountain range, the Yatsugatake mountains and also the rest of the Kofu basin. It is home to around 300 cherry blossom trees and is also an extremely popular evening spot as the trees are lit up in the evening.

The Park is large enough for you to enjoy your own space to relax and take in the 360 degree views.It also boasts a Sakura alleyway with an added bonus of seeing peach and plum trees blooming right next to the cherry blossoms.

Yamanashi is the largest grower of peaches and plums in Japan. These fruit trees bloom the most stunning pink and white flowers making an amazing carpet like effect all through the Fuefuki area. The Yamanashi peach flowers are becoming world renowned with a large increase in European and Asian visitors each year.

A highly recommended spot for viewing the peach flowers is Ichinomiya Hanami Dai, which shows the carpet of pink to the full effect heading down the mountains. There are also short mountain tracks from this viewpoint where you can watch the local peach farmers in action hand pollinating the trees and clearing off any unneeded buds for the upcoming summer harvest.

After viewing this magical area you can visit the Ichinomiya Momo no Sato Onsen which is 5 minutes down the hill which is a perfect way for you to relax again surrounded by more flowers in the beautiful Fuefuki region.

This year both the cherry blossoms and peach flowers were much later than usual due to colder weather at the end of March. Usually the peak time for cherry blossoms at Furusato park is the start of April while the peach flowers bloom around the first weekend of April. Be sure to check before you visit to ensure you can see these magical flowers with a distinct Yamanashi flavour.

By dadingo

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