Cherry Blossoms in Japan - Day 12-13

The idea of traveling to Japan in winter had been on our mind for a long time. Ultimately, it was the thought of experiencing Japan with blooming trees, as often seen in photos, that attracted us. At the same time, we were aware that traveling 'off-season' also brings advantages, such as escaping the crowds of tourists who come to Japan each year during cherry blossom season. However, during our planning, we discovered that some places can be in full bloom as early as early February. One of these places is the Izu region, a peninsula about an hour by train from Tokyo.

So, on our way back from Tokyo, we visited the Izu Peninsula. The first city we chose was Atami. This smaller city, located directly on the Shinkansen line from Kyoto, is considered the gateway to the entire region. Atami is by the sea, and the entire Izu Peninsula is referred to as the 'Japanese Mediterranean' due to its climate, which resembles that of the Mediterranean. The warmer climate, the beautifully blue sea, and a variety of lemon and orange trees contribute to the idyllic atmosphere. Atami welcomed us with beautiful weather. We immediately made our way into the city, where our main goal awaited us along the riverside promenade – the blooming cherry trees. The blossoms were truly breathtaking. Some people wore clothing that matched the flowers, creating enchanting scenes – various shades of pink in all their glory. The fully blossomed trees extended in a long line down to the sea. It was beautiful. We walked to the beach, which was also delightful. I took a few more photos, as the cherry trees were also blooming along the seaside promenade. In the evening, we went out for ramen, but this time, the menu was only in Japanese. Fortunately, we used Google Translate. I can hardly imagine how it was in the past when this wasn't possible – tourists probably chose their food blindly back then.

The next day, we headed directly to Kawazu, the town that gave its name to the cherry blossoms. The train ride from Atami took about two hours; it was no longer a Shinkansen, but a local train. The train informed us that we would have beautiful views of the neighboring islands that were marked on the map during the ride. The view of the vast sea was truly impressive. We traveled all the way to Kawazu, where the cherry blossom festival takes place in February. However, this time, the blossoms appeared a little later. We had been following the situation, and at the beginning of February, the cherry trees had not bloomed yet, but now they were starting to. It was overwhelming – along the river stretched a three-kilometer-long avenue, both sides densely lined with cherry trees. We walked the entire avenue. As part of the festival, we tried everything related to cherry blossoms – cherry blossom ice cream, cherry blossom pancakes, pink rice cakes, cherry blossom drinks... Everything was inspired by these beautiful flowers. The vendors, the stalls, even the parking attendants – everyone was dressed in pink.

We could hardly believe it; we spent the whole day in Kawazu. After a whole day of walking, we were greeted with sunny weather, and to cap off the day, we also found an onsen – a hot spring for pilgrims, where we could relax our feet. Hot springs are typical in the Izu region.

Then it was time to get back on the train and return to Tokyo. We arrived late at night and could hardly believe that our last full day in Tokyo awaited us tomorrow.