Izu-Kogen cherry avenue and festival (late March – early April)
A long avenue of Somei-Yoshino cherry trees that starts a few minutes from Izu-Kogen station, lit up at night during the festival.
Izu-Kogen, the wooded plateau south of Ito, is laced with holiday homes, small museums and cafés. In spring its main avenue becomes a tunnel of Somei-Yoshino cherry blossoms that begins a couple of minutes' walk from Izu-Kogen station. It is often described as about 3 km long (the densest section is shorter), and it is much quieter than the big cherry spots of Tokyo.
When
Peak bloom is usually late March to early April, with some trees starting in mid-March. The Izu-Kogen Sakura Matsuri is held in late March, with food stalls and evening illuminations.
Tips
- Come early in the morning for photos without crowds.
- Combine with Mount Omuro, whose Sakura no Sato park at the foot of the mountain has many cherry varieties.
- Kawazu's early cherries are a month earlier: see the Kawazu festival.
