Local tip-off takes us to a hanami cherry blossom viewing site that’s yet to be discovered by overseas tourists.
A lot has been written about the top flower-viewing sites in Tokyo, but venture further afield and you’ll find exquisite blossoming sites that are coveted by locals. These are places you won’t find in tourist guides — a fact our own reporter Mariko Ohanabatake discovered when she took a trip to Fuefuki City in Yamanashi Prefecture recently, where she learned about a secret peach blossom orchard from staff at an information tent.
▼ That local tip-off led her to a hidden peach blossom paradise.
After being blown away by this local secret, Mariko was hungry to discover more hidden gems in the area, and with a lot of the main flower-viewing sites being quite a distance from the station, she decided to hop in a taxi and see where the driver might take her.
▼ Most of the famous peach blossom viewing locations, marked in pink, aren’t within walking distance from Isawa-Onsen Station (top left).
Sliding into the taxi, Mariko posed her question to the cab driver: “Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to the best sakura site in Yamanashi Prefecture!” As luck would have it, the cab driver was a woman who seemed to know exactly what Mariko was after, telling her, “There’s a place with amazing cherry blossoms and peach blossoms, wanna go?”
▼ The driver’s enthusiasm made Mariko feel like this would be something special, so she eagerly agreed, and they wasted no time in setting off towards the mystery destination.
Fuefuki City boasts the largest peach production in Japan so the area is completely covered in peach orchards, making for some beautiful pink scenery by the roads.
As the cab climbed further and further into the mountains of the Kofu Basin, there were pink peach orchards everywhere. Mariko was already happy with the view from the car window, but the driver promised she would soon find herself in an even more incredible setting.
The secret destination turned out to be Yatsushiro Furusato Park, which was about a 20-minute drive from the station.
According to the driver, this park has stunning views of both peach and cherry blossoms, along with views of the Alps, and when Mariko stepped out of the cab, she saw that she was spot-on with her description.
▼ This area, overlooking the peach orchards of Fuefuki, is also known as “Fuefuki Peach Blossom Village“.
After thanking the driver and watching the car disappear down the road, it was time for Mariko to soak up the scenery, and the first thing she noticed was how few people there were.
▼ No crowds makes for even more beauty.
With sakura trees beside her, and peach orchards and the Kofu Basin spread out before her, the view was mesmerising. Not only were there different shades of pink to enjoy, but as the site was surrounded on all sides by the Alps and the Yatsugatake Mountains, a volcanic mountain range that lies on the border with Nagano Prefecture, it offered beautiful views with a cool and refreshing mountain breeze.
The park was huge, and in addition to being able to walk through the peach blossom trees, she was able to walk beneath the cherry blossoms as well. With so many sakura trees in the park, Mariko found herself walking for long stretches beneath canopies of cherry blossoms, and she was able to take her time enjoying them as there were no crowds to contend with.
▼ Another stunning site, free from crowds of tourists.
▼ The only groups she came across were those of families enjoying picnics under the cherry blossoms.
One spot that was particularly beautiful was a curious-looking knoll beside a cluster of sakura trees.
▼ From a distance, the knoll looked like a perfectly truncated cone…
▼ …but then she noticed a few similar conical hills in the distance.
As she ventured toward them, Mariko discovered the slopes were actually the mound of Oka Chosizuka Kofun, a historic keyhole-shaped tomb.
According to Yamanashi Prefecture’s official website, this is the largest ancient tomb in the area, measuring 92 metres (302 feet) in length and 48 metres in diameter at the rear circular part and 41 metres in width at the front section. Given its impressive size and excellent location, it’s believed to have been the burial site of a powerful local leader, built in the latter half of the 4th century. After burial items were excavated from the chamber, it now acts as a vantage point for visitors to look out from.
▼ Mariko followed in the footsteps of those around her, climbing to the top of the mound and snapping a selfie with the view.
Even without knowing about the history beneath your feet, you can feel the grandeur of something special here, which adds to the beauty of the site. Hints of the past are evident though, especially in the unusual haniwa (terracotta clay figures usually buried with the dead) that have been erected in the playground.
Turning away from the past, Mariko stumbled upon the future in another special feature at the park — Linear View Hill Observatory.
This observation deck allows visitors to view the Linear Chuo Shinkansen test track, which is located right next to the park. If you’re lucky, you might be able to view a test run amidst the cherry and peach blossoms, making for a very unique photo opportunity.
Climbing to the top of the deck, Mariko was able to see both the tunnel and the straight stretch of track used by the high-speed maglev train during test runs. Unfortunately, the Linear Chuo Shinkansen wasn’t due to run when Mariko visited, but there is a schedule on the Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Centre’s official website that you can look out for if you’d like to see the train from here in person.
With a field of pink peach blossoms, rows of sakura trees, the snow-capped Alps and Yatsugatake mountains in the distance, an ancient tomb, and the Linear Chuo Shinkansen track, the park turned out to be even more amazing than she ever anticipated.
She’d only intended to see the cherry blossoms, but she ended up enjoying history, nature, and the future, all together at one site.
Although the park may be well-known to people in the area, it remains a little-known spot for overseas tourists and residents living outside the prefecture, which just goes to show what you can find when you ask a local for their recommendations. The only hurdle is getting locals to share their well-guarded secrets, so next time you want to be privy to that information, we highly recommend hopping in a cab and seeing where they’ll take you.
Site information
Yatsushiro Furusato Park / 八代ふるさと公園
Address: Yamanashi-ken, Fuefuki-shi, Yatsushirochooka 2223-1
笛吹市八代町岡2223-1
Open 24 hours
Website
Related: Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Centre
Photos ©SoraNews24
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