Every year, I travel north to Tohoku to chase the peak bloom of the cherry blossoms. You see, unlike in Tokyo, where the petals are all long gone by the middle of April, Japan’s northern reaches bloom a lot later due to the latitudinal difference with its capital city. Thus, if you’re willing to head north into the countryside of Tohoku, you can enjoy some truly amazing sights for cherry blossom viewing from late April to early May. It’s truly a travel hack that I wish more people knew about since peak season in Tokyo is painfully crowded these days.
This year, one of the spots that I stopped by on my northern-bound adventure was Kitakami Tenshochi Park. Located in the southern half of the massive Iwate Prefecture, this two-kilometer-long stretch of cherry blossom trees sits along the banks of the Kitakami River. By my rough estimate, Kitakami Tenshochi Park is home to as many as 10,000 trees which all start blooming in mid-April. Around this time, the locals hold their annual cherry blossom festival which features all sorts of food vendors and other such fun.
Now, while Kitakami Tenshochi Park and the rest of Kitakami City aren’t places that I would suggest that you go to simply for viewing cherry blossoms, it’s a convenient stop on any excursion that takes you north to Tohoku during mid-April to early May. Especially if you have a JR East Pass (Tohoku Area), you can easily hop off in Kitakami, spend a day at Kitakami Tenshochi Park and then continue on north to Morioka or Akita for more cherry blossom chasing.
How to Get There
Before I cover what to expect from the annual Kitakami Tenshochi Sakura Festival, let me first take a quick second to cover some key logistics. By far, the easiest way of getting there is to simply take the Tohoku Shinkansen Line to Kitakami Station from Tokyo. This trip should take around three hours or so, but, as always, I encourage you to refer to a service like Jorudan to calculate any and all train departures. Note that those already in the area can also take the local Tohoku Main Line over as well.
From Kitakami Station, you’ll want to depart via the east exit. From there, Kitakami Tenshochi Park can be reached in around 10 to 15 minutes depending on how fast of a walker you are. I’ll leave a link to a Google Map for you here to help you find your way, but know that you likely won’t need it. Just simply head east until you come across the Kitakami River and then look for a bridge that will take you across to where Kitakami Tenshochi Park can be found.
For what it’s worth, those who prefer traveling by rental car can also take the Tohoku Expressway over to Kitakami City. That said, though, I would plan for heavy traffic around Kitakami Tenshochi Park if I were you, as many locals of Iwate and the other nearby prefectures often flock to Kitakami Tenshochi Park to see the cherry blossoms when they are in full bloom. Rather than park nearby, it might be more expedient to find something on the far side of the river by the JR Kitakami Station.
The Kitakami Tenshochi Sakura Festival
As you cross the bridge over to Kitakami Tenshochi Park, the first thing that you’ll notice is a string of carp streamers that span the Kitakami River as well as the start of the myriad of cherry blossom trees. From here to the end of the strip where the Tenshochi Rest House and the food stalls are located during the Kitakami Tenshochi Sakura Festival, there are over 10,000 trees, many of which were planted well over 100 years ago by the Imperial Japanese Army.
As you can tell by looking at the images throughout this article, Kitakami Tenshochi Park really does earn its title as being one of the Top 100 Spots in Japan for Cherry Blossom Viewing (and, for what it’s worth, top three in Tohoku). Thus, the real allure here is to simply waltz your way through the trees and enjoy their springtime beauty. At the same time, though, one of the real reasons that you’d want to visit Kitakami Tenshochi Park over somewhere else is the horse carriage rides.
Hold up, you say — horse carriage rides? Yup, that is right. As pictured in the opening of this piece, you can actually charter a horse to pull you through the endless line of cherry blossom trees for the relatively cheap price of a mere 2,000 yen per person. If you’re curious, know that he deal for a ride can be struck near the SL Square next to the children’s park, but expect there to be a lot of demand, especially if you’re visiting on a weekend or a national holiday.
Another unique aspect of the Kitakami Tenshochi Sakura Festival is the Onikenbai, or “Demon Sword Dance,” a traditional performance with over 1,300 years of history. Dancers don striking demon-like masks and vibrant costumes, executing powerful, rhythmic movements that captivate audiences. This performance isn’t merely for entertainment; it embodies the region’s cultural heritage and spiritual essence, offering a profound connection to the local traditions amidst the cherry blossoms.
Michinoku Folklore Village & the Kitakami City Museum
In addition to the endless array of cherry blossoms along the river at Kitakami Tenshochi Park, there are also a few more spots in the city of Kitakami that are worth checking out. First things first, you might also want to check out the Michinoku Folklore Village, which is located just a few minutes away from the aforementioned Tenshochi Rest House. This is an open-air museum that offers visitors a glimpse into several centuries of Tohoku’s history.
Spread across a hillside overlooking Kitakami Tenshochi Park, the Michinoku Folklore Village is home to around 40 historic structures, including Edo-period (1603–1868) farmhouses, a fire hall, a traditional schoolhouse, and even a replica of a Jomon-period (14,000 BC–300 BC) dwelling. Historically, this area was of great strategic importance, sitting right on the boundary between the Date and Nambu clan territories. From the vantage point of the village, you can see Mt. Iwate to the north and Mt. Kurikoma to the south — views that would have once been vital for spotting approaching armies.
For those interested in architecture, Michinoku Folklore Village also features both the L-shaped Nambu Magariya houses, which famously sheltered both people and horses, and the rectangular-style Date homes. In addition to the historic buildings, the site also houses a number of small museums. These include a folk materials museum filled with handmade tools, clothing, and footwear, as well as a firefighting museum and a city museum showcasing artifacts from the area’s long past.
If you’re planning a visit to any of these locales, budget at least half a day to properly take it all in — especially if you want to combine it with time spent seeing the cherry trees at Kitakami Tenshochi Park and other nearby sites!
Other Nearby Attractions
If you’re coming to Iwate for Kitakami Tenshochi Park, I highly suggest that you add more of the Tohoku region to your trip. Simply put, this often overlooked part of the country is packed with countless hidden gems that more visitors from overseas need to know about. What’s more, thanks to the amazing regional JR pass mentioned earlier, getting around is actually extremely affordable too — often even cheaper than just buying round-trip tickets the normal way.
Within the prefectural borders of Iwate, two spots that I’d immediately recommend are the town of Tono and the city of Morioka. Tono is renowned for its rich folklore and tales of yokai spirits, while Morioka recently earned second place on The New York Times’ list of “52 Places to Go” in 2023. Accolades aside, Morioka and its surrounding areas are also home to some fantastic cherry blossom spots, including the following:
Additionally, Morioka also makes for a great base when exploring the rest of Tohoku. From Morioka Station, you can easily hop on the Shinkansen and head west to Kakunodate in Akita Prefecture to catch the cherry blossoms there. Likewise, you can continue north to Aomori, where you’ll find the legendary Hirosaki Castle Park — a place that I personally consider to be Japan’s best spot for cherry blossoms in late spring.
Until next time travelers…
