Last Updated: Feb 11, 2024

The Yodo Suiro Waterway

Kyoto’s Early Cherry Blossom Spot

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

In comparison to some of my more in-depth area guides on the blog, today’s article is going to be quite condensed. This week, we’ll be taking a look at Kyoto’s lovely Yodo Suiro Waterway. Lacking the normal historical pedigree that is common to the types of locations I favor, there is but one simple reason that travelers ought to visit the Yodo Suiro Waterway — cherry blossoms. You see, this homely rivulet is host to hundreds of Kawazu-zakura. Unlike their more famous cousins, the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms, these trees bloom far earlier and thus herald in the arrival of spring. Should you find yourself in Kyoto when they are at their peak, I highly suggest that you budget a few hours to swing by the Yodo Suiro Waterway.

Now, there are indeed a lot of places to see the Kawazu-zakura cherry blossoms in Japan. Heck, I just covered one such locale last week with an epic view of Mt. Fuji! Alas, iconic options like the Izu Peninsula’s Kawazu (yes, this is exactly where they get their name from) are often quite a ways off of the beaten path for travelers doing standard Japan itineraries. Luckily, this is not at all the case for the Yodo Suiro Waterway. In fact, the hidden gem slots seamlessly into any trip to Japan’s former capital. It can be conveniently…