Tips for a smooth cherry blossom viewing experience at Arakurayama Sengen Park, a super popular cherry blossom spot

As it is one of the most famous cherry blossom spots in Japan, there are many spots where you can take beautiful photos of Mt. Fuji and the cherry blossoms, but they can get very crowded, so it's best to know the best spots to get around efficiently. If you're driving, you won't be able to use the parking lot within the park during the cherry blossom season, so you'll have to park in a temporary parking lot. Try to arrive at around 6:30 to park as close to the park as possible. The free shuttle bus isn't running at this time, so you'll have to walk to the park (about a 20-30 minute walk). At the entrance to the park, there's a row of cherry blossom trees leading up to the torii gate, and this is the best photo spot (second photo). People queue to take stunning photos of Mt. Fuji, the red torii gate, and the cherry blossoms, so it's best to take photos in the morning when there are fewer people around. Next, you'll climb the 398 steps to the top of the mountain, and if you turn around just after reaching the top, you can take a really beautiful photo (third photo). Finally, we head to the observation deck, the most popular photo spot, where you can take pictures of cherry blossoms, Mt. Fuji, and the five-story pagoda (first photo). Due to the sunlight, the best time to take photos here is between 7:00 and 8:00 AM, but as expected, there are long lines, so it's best to go earlier. That's all for the photo spots with long lines, so it's best to take a leisurely stroll around the observation deck and take pictures of the five-story pagoda and cherry blossoms, or find a spot where you can frame Mt. Fuji with cherry blossoms. Best time to see cherry blossoms: mid-April. Admission fee: Free. Access: 10-minute walk from Shimoyoshida Station, 15 minutes from Kawaguchiko IC on the Chuo Expressway. #Sakura2024 #Sakura