Japan and Cherry Blossoms - Days 12-13

The idea of heading to Japan in winter was something we considered for a long time. After all, we were most drawn to the thought of seeing Japan with blooming trees, as often captured in photographs. At the same time, we were aware that traveling 'off-season' would offer its advantages, such as avoiding the throngs of tourists that visit Japan during the cherry blossom season each year. However, during our planning, we discovered that some places can be seen in full bloom as early as the beginning of February. One such place is the Izu area, a peninsula about an hour's train ride from Tokyo.
So, on our return trip from Tokyo, we visited the Izu Peninsula. The first city we chose was Atami. This smaller town, located directly on the Shinkansen line from Kyoto, is considered the gateway to the entire region. Atami is located by the sea, and the entire Izu Peninsula is nicknamed the 'Japanese Mediterranean' due to the similarity of the local climate to that of the Mediterranean. The warmer weather, beautifully blue sea, and countless lemon and orange trees contribute to this idyllic atmosphere. Atami welcomed us with beautiful weather. We immediately set off to the town, where on the promenade along the river, we found our main goal – the blooming cherry blossoms. The flowers were truly stunning. Some people beneath them wore outfits matching the blossoms, creating magical scenes – shades of pink in all variations. The trees in full bloom stretched in a long line all the way to the sea. It was magnificent. We reached the beach, which was also enchanting. I took more photos, as the cherry blossoms were also blooming on the seaside promenade. In the evening, we went for ramen, but this time we received a menu that was only in Japanese. Fortunately, we used Google Translate. I can’t imagine a time when this was not possible – tourists must have chosen their dishes blindly back then.The Next Day
On the second day, we set off directly to the city of Kawazu, which gave the cherry blossoms their name. The train ride from Atami took about two hours; it was no longer the Shinkansen, but rather a regional train. The train informed us that during the journey we would have beautiful views of the adjacent islands marked on the map. The views of the open sea were truly breathtaking. We arrived in Kawazu, where a cherry blossom festival takes place throughout February. However, this time the flowers bloomed a little later. We monitored the situation and at the beginning of February, the cherry blossoms were not yet blooming, but now they were starting to appear. It was stunning – a three-kilometer avenue stretched alongside the river, both sides densely populated with cherry trees. We walked the entire avenue. As part of the festival, we tasted everything related to cherry blossoms – cherry blossom ice cream, cherry blossom pancakes, pink rice flour cakes, cherry blossom drinks… Everything was inspired by these beautiful flowers. Vendors, stalls, even parking lot attendants – everyone was in pink.
We couldn’t believe it; we spent the entire day in Kawazu. After a day on our feet, we were greeted by sunny weather, and at the end of the day, we found an onsen – a mountain spring for pilgrims, where we relieved our feet. Hot springs are typical in the Izu area.
Then it was time to board the train again and head back to Tokyo. We arrived late at night and couldn’t believe that our last full day in Tokyo was already awaiting us tomorrow.