Last Updated: Apr 13, 2025

Motoara River Cherry Blossom Avenue

A Saitama Secret Spot

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

In recent years, I’ve been on something of a crusade to promote some of Japan’s lesser-known cherry blossom spots. You see, now that the pandemic is well behind us, places like Yoyogi Park and Chidorigafuchi are so painfully packed with both locals and tourists that it’s nearly impossible to enjoy them. Rather than marveling at the majesty of Japan’s iconic blossoms, you’ll find yourself more concerned with not getting trampled when visiting these popular sites. Luckily, I’ve got you covered when it comes to springtime hidden gems.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at just one of these locales. Known as the Motoara River Cherry Blossom Avenue, this hidden gem can be found southeast of Kumagaya in northern Saitama Prefecture. Now, sure — shots of demure Gram girlies daintily making their way across the three-kilometer-long rivulet via the series of stone steps (like the one seen above) do occasionally pop up on social media, as seen here in my friend Ayane’s post. That said, the Motoara River Cherry Blossom Avenue has somehow managed to stay under the radar — at least as far as inbound tourists are concerned.

When it comes to secluded springtime spots in Saitama, I’ve covered places like Chichibu’s Senbonzakura of Torayama (a bit of…