Sakura at Miyakonojo Kannonike Park

Miyakonojo City, located on the border of Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures, is famous as the city with the highest amount of hometown tax donations in Japan. However, it is also known for its numerous cherry blossom trees. While the cherry blossoms at Mother Chichio are well-known, there is a parking fee of 500 yen, so Kannonike Park is highly recommended instead. The park features a long avenue lined with cherry trees, and the spacious park is planted with cherry blossoms everywhere. It was a weekday, but many people were enjoying hanami, laying out leisure sheets and eating lunch under the fully bloomed cherry blossoms. The weather was perfect for cherry blossom viewing, with clear skies and peak bloom. The mountains visible from Kannonike Park were also covered with cherry blossoms on their slopes, turning the entire mountain a light pink, which was truly beautiful.