Oboshi Park

Atop rolling hills west of the Fujikawa River, Oboshi Park offers superb views of Mount Fuji and has been named one of the 100 best cherry-blossom viewing spots in all of Japan.

Around 2,000 sakura trees cover the grassy slopes, turning them various shades of soft pink when the trees bloom each spring. These subtle variations in hue are thanks to the mix of cherry trees: the term sakura includes a number of varieties, and Oboshi Park is home to not only the best-known member of the family, the Somei-Yoshino, but also the East Asian cherry, the weeping cherry, and others.

Oboshi Park’s pathways become avenues lined resplendently with cherry blossom, making for a memorable stroll. The scene takes on an enchanting, dreamlike air when illuminated after sundown, while a Sakura Festival held through late March to early April welcomes thousands of visitors.

Head to the eastern perimeter, by the Peace Tower, for magnificent views over the Fujikawa River, and to Mt. Fuji 32 kilometers away. Here you will also find what is, in cherry blossom season, Oboshi Park’s most romantic and photogenic spot: at the top of a staircase leading down the hillside, two sakura trees form an arch of cherry blossom framing Mt. Fuji.

A Shinto shrine on the park’s south side (look for the red torii gate) is dedicated to enmusubi, the idea of two individuals being tied together through love.