Cherry Blossom Viewing in Nagoya ~ These Lesser-Known Spots Are Incredibly Beautiful!

Cherry blossom viewing in Nagoya ~ These lesser-known spots: Kozokuin Temple, Arakogawa Park, Shirotori Garden, Tsuruma Park, and Todagawa Green Park ~ They're truly stunning! The cherry blossoms at Arakogawa Park are in full bloom. Hundreds of Somei Yoshino cherry trees line the river, their branches extending almost to the water's surface. Visitors stroll along, cameras in hand, capturing these pink and white sprites. Occasionally, petals fall and float on the water's surface, spinning with the current before finally sinking. I suppose this is what they call "flower rafts," though no one recites poetry or pays tribute to them. Around a few street corners is Kozokuin Temple. The temple isn't large, but it features a weeping cherry tree with branches cascading down like a waterfall. A sign beneath the tree indicates it's over a hundred years old. An elderly monk sweeps fallen petals with slow movements as they pile up at his feet. Several Western tourists marvel at the sight, taking photos before hurrying away, not noticing the Higan cherry buds under the temple corridor that are just beginning to bloom, with a sorrowful redness. The cherry grove at Todagawa Green Park is the liveliest. People spread picnic blankets, drinking and singing, with petals falling on beer cans that no one bothers to brush away. In front of the dry landscape garden at Shirotori Garden, a weeping cherry tree creates an interesting contrast with the stone arrangements. Women in kimonos walking beneath it add a touch of traditional elegance. Around the fountain at Tsuruma Park, most cherry blossoms have already fallen, with the remaining petals mixed in muddy water, crushed to powder by passing pedestrians. Schoolgirls in uniforms laugh and take photos together, with bare branches as their backdrop—they arrived too late.