Last Updated: Apr 20, 2025

Hanamiyama Park

Fukushima City’s Top Cherry Blossom Spot

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

When it comes to cherry blossoms, Fukushima Prefecture is truly a fantastic place. Home to trees like the famed Miharu Takizakura, you’re truly spoiled for choice when it comes to springtime blossoms in Fukushima. That all said, while there are a number of locations that could potentially claim the title of best cherry blossom spot, few locations in the prefecture can hold a candle to Hanamiyama Park. Literally translating to “Flower Viewing Mountain Park,” this hidden gem might very well be one of Japan’s best.

Located on the outskirts of the city of Fukushima, Hanamiyama Park was originally created by a team of local residents who planted all sorts of ornamental plants and trees in hillsides nearby their farmland. Thereafter, the space was opened to the public as a park in the late 1950s and has since grown to be the top cherry blossom spot in Fukushima City. Every year, thousands of visitors flock to Hanamiyama Park to admire its varied collection of cherry blossom species.

At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious, Hanamiyama Park is situated in the hills to the east of central Fukushima City. The space blooms a little later than central Tokyo, often seeing its peak flowering season a few weeks after Japan’s capital…