Sendai: Full Bloom

After chasing cherry trees in Fukushima, today I headed a little further north to do the same in Sendai.

This time, I visited three different spots: The Shiroishi Riverisde, Tsutsujigaoka Park, and Nishi Park. I found that the two parks were right at their best viewing period, while the riverside area was a tad further behind. However, I expect the riverside to enter best viewing by tomorrow, and barring any extreme weather, for all spots to remain in their best viewing state for about another week.

While the Shiroishi Riverside requires a train ride out of Sendai, today it's making its way into my report because it is definitely worth the journey. It is known for "hitome senbonzakura," which means "seeing one thousand cherry trees at once," and in practical terms, means the riverside is lined with gorgeous blossoms.

It takes around 35 minutes to reach Funaoka Station from Sendai Station. If you make your way to the riverside by crossing the tracks to the north exit, you'll find the cherry blossoms immediately, and can get a good view from Sakurahodo Bridge. From there, if you continue towards Ogawara Station, you'll come across another viewing platform at the Shibata Senzakura Bridge where there are also some food stalls.

Back in Sendai City, I made my way to one of its popular cherry blossom spots, Tsutsujigaoka Park, about a 15-minute walk from Sendai Station. The park is not particularly large, but the cherry blossom spots are only in certain areas, so you can easily walk around and choose a picnic spot. By far the most popular area was by a cluster of weeping cherry trees to the west, where there were also a lot of food stalls.

In the other direction from Sendai Station, about a 3-minute subway ride away, is Nishi Park. Unlike Tsutsujigaoka Park, though, there is only one main cluster of cherry blossoms, usefully named the "cherry blossom viewing square," near Sakuragaoka Shrine. Here, there are all sorts of food stalls, some tables and chairs, and a picnic area. Outside of the square, there are virtually no cherry blossoms to be seen. The area is lit up daily from sunset until 10pm, which will continue until the petals fall.