Hanami

Hanami (花見) are "flower viewing" parties that are a common sight in Japan during spring, particularly during the short period when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

Use this guide to learn about Hanami or find a good spot in Mie to see beautiful blossoms this spring.

Hanami Parties

The concept is very simple: You and your friends find a good spot for looking at the trees -- ideally right underneath them -- and have a party. Many parties consist snack foods, a yakiniku-style barbecue grill plus some raw meat, and topped off with plenty of beer and sake.

There will also be snack food and drinks available at food stalls in the more popular parks.

Groups generally pick a spot and "reserve" it by putting a large blue plastic sheet over the area with their name on it. Sometimes people do this well in advance as prime spots in the most popular areas are hard to come by.

Hanami parties tend to continue well into the night, at which point the name sometimes changes to yozakura (夜桜).

Ideal Hanami Locations

Although pretty much any blossom tree in the prefecture will suffice, there are certain parks with a large concentration of them which make for an especially incredible view.

Northern Mie

• Kameyama : Kameyama Park - Somei Yoshino Cherry Blossoms

  A fairly dense collection of blossoms surround the base of former Kameyama Castle at the park in the middle of the city.

Central Mie

• Tsu : Yūki Shrine - Weeping Plum Blossoms

  Fairly well-known throughout Mie, this is a shrine with a high concentration of plum trees. Blooms in mid-February and lasts through the first half of March.

Eastern Mie

• Ise : Miya River Banks - Somei Yoshino Cherry Blossoms

  With over 1000 sakura grown in this relatively small area, this park has more cherry blossoms than anywhere else in Mie and is officially recognized as one of the top 100 best hanami places in all of Japan. You can grab some amazing "sakura tunnel" pictures here, especially if you are able to make it during a weekday before the weekend rush.

Western Mie

• Iga : Ueno Park - Somei Yoshino Cherry Blossoms

  Sakura are scattered throughout the large park in the middle of Iga-Ueno, home to Ueno Castle and the Basho house.

Southern Mie

None listed

Outside Mie

None listed