Hakodate Cherry Blossom 3-Day Tour: A Spring Pilgrimage Woven with Mountains, Sea, and Culture
Cherry blossoms are the whispers of spring. In Hakodate, each petal is touched by sea mist and morning light. This port city blends Western influences and Eastern charm into the cherry blossoms, weaving a pale pink and white scroll.
On the first day, head to Goryokaku, a star-shaped fortress surrounded by thousands of Somei Yoshino cherry trees. Ascend the tower for a panoramic view, and the fortress transforms into a medal falling into a pink sea of clouds. Fallen petals float on the moat, and visitors stroll slowly along the wooden bridge with umbrellas. Turn a corner to encounter a girl in a kimono, her sleeves and the drooping branches swaying in the breeze, and the essence of spring flows from the folds.
The next morning, sunlight spills over Mount Hakodate. Hike to Hakodate Park, where century-old weeping cherry trees spread out their massive floral domes. The bark is cracked like an old man's hand, holding up a tree full of youthful beauty. In the afternoon, a streetcar clangs along Motomachi Slope, and at the end of Hachiman Slope, the cherry blossoms meet the sea. In the evening, take the cable car up the mountain. As dusk falls, millions of lights gradually light up, and the night cherry blossoms float semi-transparently in the halo of colored lights, like a beaded curtain hanging from the heavenly market.
On the third day, head to Yukura Shrine. The stone steps of the approach are covered with a pale red hue. The sound of an ancient bell startles the birds, and the petals shaken off as they flap their wings scatter into the morning incense smoke. In the afternoon, stroll through the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse. The scent of the sea mixes with the sweetness of cherry blossoms, seeping into the brick cracks. Find a cafe to sit down, and outside the glass window, the shadows of the flowers are mottled. A salted cherry blossom floats in the latte in your cup.
Three days is short, but enough to engrave the spring of Hakodate into your memory. The cherry blossoms here are not as bright as those in Kyoto, but they have a unique clarity that has been washed by the sea breeze. When the last petal falls into the Tsugaru Strait, the reflections of the star-shaped castle, the light spots at the end of the slope, and the whispers of the night cherry blossoms and lights will eventually transform into a gentle itch in your heart when the spring breeze rises again in some year.