Spring is, without a doubt, one of the best times of year to be in Japan.

In the mountains of prefectures like Nagano, with their long winters, the at-last warmer days see people beyond the winter sports crowd heading outdoors. Cherry blossom (sakura) season varies wildly throughout Japan with latitude and elevation. Here in Nagano, the sweet spot is usually from mid to late April, though the wild cherry trees in the mountains and parks at higher elevations hold out longer. Sakura blooming against a backdrop of still-snowy mountains is a quintessential Nagano sight.

Peak time for the blossoms is also peak time for hanami—flower viewing, which also covers the parties held beneath the clouds of blossoms. These are also held in smaller numbers in the days leading up to the period. Sometimes you’ll even find overly optimistic groups who scheduled too early out under bare branches of buds that won’t be opening for another week.

Depending on your point of view, missing the blossoms at their fullest isn’t necessarily a problem. Mono-no-aware, a feeling of poignancy for the fragility and impermanence of life, has imbued Japanese culture since ancient times. As much as the beauty of the blossoms themselves, it’s their fading away that I think most pulls at people’s heartstrings and is the real reason why hanami is such a beloved time of year. And there’s something magical about a gentle spring breeze in the branches that engulfs you in a cherry blossom petal blizzard.

While places like Takato in the Ina Valley are rightly famous, they’re also jam-packed during the season. (It should be pointed out that this was the case long before the influx of international travelers.) The good news is that there are plenty of local cherry blossom viewing spots too, great for a picnic and encountering the locals at their most open and laid-back.

Some excellent but less famous spots for hanami:

Matsumoto Castle Park – Great place for a picnic among the blossoms with a view of one of Japan’s oldest original castle towers.
Koboyama – Located south of the city and best reached with wheels, this hillside park around an ancient burial mound has hundreds of cherry trees and views across the city to the Northern Alps.
Alps Park – Set on a mountain ridge a few kilometers outside central Matsumoto. When not viewing the blossoms, the kids will love the extensive playscapes and old-school Japanese playground equipment.
Tsumago’s Chaya—A hike an the Nakasendo between Magome and Tsumago is lovely mid-spring, and the 18th-century Ichikokutochi Tateba Chaya tea house is especially photogenic when the cherry trees are in bloom.
Yokogawa (Okaya)—A popular hanami spot with the locals and a great place for a sakura stroll, with around 400 cherry trees lining the Yokogawa River.

Get in touch to find out about seeing the blossoms during your Mindful Japan Tour.