Experience both cherry blossoms and snow on the same day – only in Tohoku!
Tohoku experiences some of Japan's heaviest snowfall, meaning that winter is long and harsh, but it comes with a silver lining!
In early Spring, even as the first cherry blossoms begin to bloom, the surrounding mountain ranges are still covered in snow, meaning visitors can enjoy two seasons in the same day! One of the most accessible places for visitors to experience this unique phenomenon is the Zao mountain range in Miyagi Prefecture. The 'Zao Echo Line' road is closed over the winter, but will be reopened again in mid-April to allow visitors the chance to walk a 2km course between the incredible 'snow walls' created when clearing the roads. Between April 10 ~ 14, special bus tours will run from Shiroishi City and Sendai City which will take visitors to see both the snow walls as well as the incredible 'Hitome-senbon-zakura' (one thousand cherry trees at one glance) in Ogawara City at the foot of Mt. Zao. Enjoy jaw-dropping scenes of thousands of pink cherry trees lining both sides of the Shiroishi River, with a dramatic snow-capped Mt. Zao in the background.
Snow-wall Walk + Cherry Blossom Bus Tours:
1. Snow-wall Shuttle Bus from Shiroishi Station:
Dates: Everyday between April 10 ~ 14, 2020 (07:30 ~ 14:00)
Highlights: Snow-wall walk, Togatta Kokeshi museum, Ogawara (Hitome-senbon-zakura)
2. Snow-wall Bus Tour from Sendai Station:
Dates: April 10~12 (08:00 – 18:00)
Highlights: Snow-wall walk, Togatta Kokeshi museum / lunch, Hitome-senbon-zakura
Event organizer: Zao Town
Office hours: 09:00 ~ 22:00
ACCESS:
Hitome-Senbon-zakura: JR Ogawara Station (35 mins from Sendai Station on the JR Tohoku Line)
Address: Oyamachi-mukai, Ogawara-machi, Shibata-gun, Shibata, Miyagi
