{"id":79911,"date":"2021-04-02T23:37:38","date_gmt":"2021-04-02T14:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=79911"},"modified":"2022-01-08T02:19:31","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T17:19:31","slug":"matsuda-cherry-blossom-festival-kawazu-sakura","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/matsuda-cherry-blossom-festival-kawazu-sakura\/","title":{"rendered":"Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival: The Winter Sakura"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When I came to Japan with my <em>Working Holiday<\/em> visa in March 2019, <em>sakura <\/em>blossoms were about to bloom. <strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/tokyo-cherry-blossom-tour\/\" class=\"ek-link\">cherry blossom<\/a> season in Japan is extraordinary but, at the same time, ephemeral.<\/strong> At that moment, I felt sad because I knew I wouldn&#8217;t be able to witness them the next year since my visa would end when they would bloom again. But luck was with me: In February 2020, a month before my departure, <strong>I discovered the existence of <em>kawazu sakura<\/em> <\/strong>(\u6cb3\u6d25\u685c)<strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/early-cherry-blossom-viewing-near-tokyo-shizuoka\/\" class=\"ek-link\">a type of cherry blossom from Shizuoka Prefecture <\/a>that sprouts in early February.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08233856\/Matsuda4_MariaPenascal-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"Maria at the sakura cherry blossom Matsuda Festival in Japan\" class=\"wp-image-79912\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08233856\/Matsuda4_MariaPenascal-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08233856\/Matsuda4_MariaPenascal-500x333.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08233856\/Matsuda4_MariaPenascal-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08233856\/Matsuda4_MariaPenascal-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08233856\/Matsuda4_MariaPenascal-900x600.jpeg 900w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08233856\/Matsuda4_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>My happy face when seeing this outstanding flower festival<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/experience-the-early-cherry-blossoms-in-kanagawa-prefecture\/\" class=\"ek-link\">There are different places where you can see this type of <em>sakura<\/em> in Japan, <\/a>and I chose the <strong>Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival<\/strong>. If you want to enjoy the cherry blossom spectacle and travel to Japan during February, it would be a shame to miss this place if you&#8217;re near Tokyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Sakura Cherry Blossom-Viewing Spot Near Tokyo: <strong>Nishihira Park in Matsuda<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/town.matsuda.kanagawa.jp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"ek-link\">Matsuda<\/a> is a small town located in Kanagawa Prefecture near <a href=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/odawara-castle\/\" class=\"ek-link\">Odawara city<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/hakone-guide-onsen-art\/\" class=\"ek-link\">Hakone area<\/a>. There you can find the <a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/nisihira-park.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"ek-link\">Nishihira Park<\/a> (\u897f\u5e73\u7551\u516c\u5712), a small hill with many things to offer. Throughout the year, it is frequented by school groups and families for its popular pastimes, such as a scenic ride on the <a aria-label=\"Furusato train (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.japan-rail-pass.com\/japan-by-rail\/travel-tips\/furusato-train\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"ek-link\"><em>Furusato <\/em>train<\/a>, a small steam railway that runs around the mountain. However, <strong>Nishihira Park is also known for its 360 <em>kawazu sakura<\/em> trees that bloom during February.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234318\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6727-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"The train tracks of the furusato Train\" data-id=\"79914\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234318\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6727.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79914\" class=\"wp-image-79914\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234318\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6727-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234318\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6727-333x500.jpg 333w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234318\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6727-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234318\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6727-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234318\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6727.jpg 853w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Furusato&#8217;s train tracks \u00a9&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewanderingcam.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"ek-link\">The Wandering Cam<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234307\/Matsuda8_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Train tracks surrounded by Sakura trees\" data-id=\"79913\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234307\/Matsuda8_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79913\" class=\"wp-image-79913\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234307\/Matsuda8_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234307\/Matsuda8_MariaPenascal-333x500.jpeg 333w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234307\/Matsuda8_MariaPenascal-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234307\/Matsuda8_MariaPenascal-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08234307\/Matsuda8_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Cherry blossom surrounding the train tracks<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My Experience at the Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After one hour of traveling by train, we arrived at Shin-Matsuda station. We bought our lunch in a <em>conbini<\/em> (convenience store), and we headed towards the festival. I was excited and, at the same time, a little incredulous. I had recently discovered this type of <em>sakura,<\/em> so I <strong>couldn&#8217;t believe that they could bloom so early.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a 15 minutes walk following Google Map indications and signs showing the direction of the cherry blossom <em>matsuri<\/em> (\u796d\u308a &#8211; festival), we went through a tunnel. Once on the other side, we raised our heads and there it was, at the bottom of the hill, the entrance to the <a aria-label=\"Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival (\u307e\u3064\u3060\u685c\u307e\u3064\u308a) (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/town.matsuda.kanagawa.jp\/site\/kankou-sub\/sakura-fes.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"ek-link\"><strong>Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival<\/strong> (\u307e\u3064\u3060\u685c\u307e\u3064\u308a)<\/a>. We couldn&#8217;t believe it. Sure enough, there was a pink grove that stretched across the entire mountain! We paid our entrance fee and started our way up the hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235517\/Matsuda_mariapenascal-576x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"A sign saying Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival\" data-id=\"79916\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235517\/Matsuda_mariapenascal-576x1024-1.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79916\" class=\"wp-image-79916\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235517\/Matsuda_mariapenascal-576x1024-1.jpg 576w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235517\/Matsuda_mariapenascal-576x1024-1-281x500.jpg 281w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">The sign indicating the direction of the festival<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235525\/Matsuda2_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Sakura and Matsuda City\" data-id=\"79917\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235525\/Matsuda2_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79917\" class=\"wp-image-79917\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235525\/Matsuda2_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235525\/Matsuda2_MariaPenascal-333x500.jpeg 333w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235525\/Matsuda2_MariaPenascal-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235525\/Matsuda2_MariaPenascal-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235525\/Matsuda2_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Matsuda city behind pink flowers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Having Lunch Between Sakura and Rapeseed Flowers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The path was flanked by pink lanterns that marked the way up the hill. <strong><em>Sakura<\/em> was already showing a very advanced point of flowering with their petals falling off.<\/strong> I couldn&#8217;t believe it, as it was just the last week of February. <strong>But this is <em>kawazu<\/em> <em>sakura<\/em>, a winter gem.<\/strong> Just as you think this scenery can&#8217;t be improved, the rapeseed flowers also blossom at the same time. So, the mixture of the pink <em>sakura<\/em>, the fresh green of springtime leaves, and the yellow of the rapeseed created an unbeatable atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000125\/Matsuda3_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Lanterns showing Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival's way\" data-id=\"79923\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000125\/Matsuda3_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79923\" class=\"wp-image-79923\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000125\/Matsuda3_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000125\/Matsuda3_MariaPenascal-333x500.jpeg 333w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000125\/Matsuda3_MariaPenascal-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000125\/Matsuda3_MariaPenascal-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000125\/Matsuda3_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">The pink lanterns showing the way<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235741\/Matsuda7_mariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Cherry blossom and rapeseed\" data-id=\"79919\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235741\/Matsuda7_mariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79919\" class=\"wp-image-79919\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235741\/Matsuda7_mariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235741\/Matsuda7_mariaPenascal-333x500.jpeg 333w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235741\/Matsuda7_mariaPenascal-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235741\/Matsuda7_mariaPenascal-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235741\/Matsuda7_mariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Sakura flowers with rapeseed flowers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235756\/Matsuda9_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Details of the cherry flowers from Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival\" data-id=\"79920\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235756\/Matsuda9_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79920\" class=\"wp-image-79920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235756\/Matsuda9_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235756\/Matsuda9_MariaPenascal-333x500.jpeg 333w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235756\/Matsuda9_MariaPenascal-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235756\/Matsuda9_MariaPenascal-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08235756\/Matsuda9_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">The sakura flowers were surrounded by green leaves.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000137\/Matsuda10_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Staring the marvelous sakura at Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival\" data-id=\"79924\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000137\/Matsuda10_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79924\" class=\"wp-image-79924\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000137\/Matsuda10_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000137\/Matsuda10_MariaPenascal-333x500.jpeg 333w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000137\/Matsuda10_MariaPenascal-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000137\/Matsuda10_MariaPenascal-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000137\/Matsuda10_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Staring at some sakura flowers: a spring portrait in February! <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We walked up the hill surrounded by quiet tranquility. <strong>The color of the trees was very intense, and, sometimes, we witnessed a shower of petals falling to the ground.<\/strong> We stopped at the middle of our climb, sat on a bench, and ate our lunch under this showering pink rain of petals. We had plenty of time, as it is a straightforward and fast hike to the mountain&#8217;s upper portion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000338\/Matsuda5_mariaPenascal-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"The outstanding leafiness of the Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival's trees\" class=\"wp-image-79926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000338\/Matsuda5_mariaPenascal-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000338\/Matsuda5_mariaPenascal-500x333.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000338\/Matsuda5_mariaPenascal-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000338\/Matsuda5_mariaPenascal-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000338\/Matsuda5_mariaPenascal-900x600.jpeg 900w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000338\/Matsuda5_mariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Lush sakura at the Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mountain Views from Atop Nishihira Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At that point, in the upper side of the hill, there was \u201cthe children&#8217;s house\u201d (\u3053\u3069\u3082\u306e\u9928), a wooden structure with a round roof. <strong>This space can be rented for group excursions, but that day there was occupied by <a href=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/hinamatsuri-day-girl\/\" class=\"ek-link\">Hina Matsuri <\/a>dolls and other Japanese decorations. <\/strong>Several volunteers were working, inviting visitors to enter and giving origami pieces as a gift! At this point on the hill, we were able to enjoy magnificent views of the city of Matsuda. On clear days, you can see views of <strong>Mount Fuji.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000802\/Matsuda6_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"A man taking a picture of the Sakura at the Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival\" data-id=\"79928\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000802\/Matsuda6_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79928\" class=\"wp-image-79928\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000802\/Matsuda6_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000802\/Matsuda6_MariaPenascal-333x500.jpeg 333w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000802\/Matsuda6_MariaPenascal-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000802\/Matsuda6_MariaPenascal-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000802\/Matsuda6_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">A man taking pictures of the sakura trees<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000821\/Matsuda_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"The sakura petal falling from the trees\" data-id=\"79929\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000821\/Matsuda_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79929\" class=\"wp-image-79929\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000821\/Matsuda_MariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000821\/Matsuda_MariaPenascal-333x500.jpeg 333w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000821\/Matsuda_MariaPenascal-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000821\/Matsuda_MariaPenascal-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09000821\/Matsuda_MariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">The stairs covered by sakura petals<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001110\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-1249-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"From the Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival you can see Mount Fuji on a sunny day\" data-id=\"79931\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001110\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-1249.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79931\" class=\"wp-image-79931\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001110\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-1249-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001110\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-1249-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001110\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-1249-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001110\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-1249.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">If you visit Matsuda on a clear day, you will be able to see Mount Fuji! \u00a9&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewanderingcam.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"ek-link\">The Wandering Cam<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There were still more areas behind the hill to explore, but we decided not to go any further. After taking lots of photos and enjoying the surroundings, the sun was starting to go down. As we walked down, we discovered a slide visitors can take to go down the hill under the foliage of sakura branches. Fully recommended for children\u2026 and adults!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001339\/matsuda11_mariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Going down the stairs, surrounded by Sakura trees\" data-id=\"79932\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001339\/matsuda11_mariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79932\" class=\"wp-image-79932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001339\/matsuda11_mariaPenascal-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001339\/matsuda11_mariaPenascal-333x500.jpeg 333w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001339\/matsuda11_mariaPenascal-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001339\/matsuda11_mariaPenascal-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001339\/matsuda11_mariaPenascal-scaled.jpeg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Going down the stairs, surrounded by Sakura trees<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001350\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6694-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A child going down the sledge\" data-id=\"79933\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001350\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6694.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79933\" class=\"wp-image-79933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001350\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6694-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001350\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6694-333x500.jpg 333w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001350\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6694-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001350\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6694-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001350\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6694.jpg 853w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">A girl going down from the slide \u00a9&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewanderingcam.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"ek-link\">The Wandering Cam<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001539\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6716-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"The Perfect Scenario of the Sakura Festival\" data-id=\"79934\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001539\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6716.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?attachment_id=79934\" class=\"wp-image-79934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001539\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6716-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001539\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6716-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001539\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6716-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/09001539\/thewanderingcam_matsuda_sakuramatsuri-6716.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">The landscape of Matsuda with cherry trees, rapeseed flowers, and the slide \u00a9&nbsp;<a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thewanderingcam.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"ek-link\">The Wandering Cam<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table caption-align-left is-style-stripes\"><table><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival <strong>General Information <\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Festival&#8217;s date<\/strong>: February 8th- March 1st (<em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/matsuda-intl.org\/news\/sakura-cancel.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"ek-link\">The 2021 festival was canceled due to the COVID-19<\/a><\/em>)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Hours: <\/strong>9:00 am &#8211; 5:00 pm<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Price:<\/strong> 200 yen<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Nearby Stations:<\/strong> Shin-Matsuda Station \/ Matsuda Station <\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Parking is available<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get to the Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The nearest train station is <strong>Shin-Matsuda<\/strong> and can be reached by the <strong>Odakyu Line<\/strong> (direct train from <strong>Shinjuku<\/strong>). It takes about <strong>an hour and a half<\/strong>. If you have the JR Pass, you can take the <strong>Tokaido-Sanyo shinkansen from<strong> Shin<\/strong>juku <\/strong>headed towards <strong>Odawara<\/strong>. There, you can change to the <strong>Odakyu Line<\/strong>. All in all, it will take about <strong>an hour.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the station to the festival, it takes about 15 minutes on foot. Follow the route with signs on the street that indicate the festival&#8217;s direction, but it is better to use Google Maps, so you don&#8217;t get lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also travel by <strong>direct bus from Shinjuku<\/strong>, taking about 1 hour and 20 minutes, and will take you directly to the Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival hill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/1\/embed?mid=1tP2wFNmTbLTWgZz-teIgswN5bsGib801&amp;hl=en\" width=\"800\" height=\"480\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>Discovering the Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival was a gift before leaving Japan. It was seeing <em>sakura<\/em> and being able to know this wonderful place surrounded by nature and tranquility. Without a doubt, it was the best farewell I could have had.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When I came to Japan with my Working Holiday visa in March 2019, sakura blossoms were about to bloom. The&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":79926,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_meta":"","_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":5,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[24,2051,1408,23],"tags":[1319,1255,1270,1338,1711,2173,2095,2076],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival: An Early Sakura Season Near Tokyo<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you travel to Japan in February and want to enjoy sakura cherry blossoms, visit Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival in Kanagawa Prefecture.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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