5 Blooming Places In Suburb Tokyo To Enjoy A Sakura Picnic!

Find your perfect spot along Onda river!

1/2 Sakura trees along Onda River

2/2 Another view

Onda river is best accessed from Naruse station and is a quiet river lined with about 500 Sakura trees. Most of them are of the Somei-yoshino Sakura species and during full bloom, the whole river will be covered with marvellous light-pink flowers, giving the river a special atmosphere.

You can take a slow stroll along the river to enjoy the Sakura flowers and pick your favourite spot to stop for a picnic! There are also various bridges along Onda river such as the Naruse-Chuo Bridge and Nishiyama Bridge that provide great top down views of the river. One of the most popular bridges along the river is the Nitanda Bridge as cars cannot access it, allowing people to stop there without worrying.

During Sakura season, the Sakura festival is also held at the Machida Gymnasium where there will be stalls set up by locals as well as performances. More information regarding the festival can be found on the Machida City official website.

When planning a visit to Tokyo, make sure you add Onda River to your to-go list!

Onda River near Machida Gymnassium

Address: 5-5-12, Maniminaruse, Machida Ciry, Tokyo

Access: 7-minute walk from Naruse station

Enjoy Negawa Ryokudo and Zanbori River

Negawa Ryokudo is located in Tachikawa, Tokyo, and is one of the most well-known places around for Hana-mi. The park measuring 1.4 kilometres is built along a small river called Negawa, and is filled with Sakura trees. During spring, all of these Sakura trees will bloom to create a beautiful scenery.

Negawa Ryokudo is split into 4 zones by roads, which can all be accessed conveniently as they are connected to the other via underground tunnels. The zones each have a different atmosphere. Zone A and Zone B, located along the top of the river, serve more as an entrance to the park. Located near to a gymnasium, it is more suited for Sakura watching while walking. On the other hand, zone C has many green spaces where you can set up picnic mats to enjoy lunch while admiring the Sakura flowers. Zone D is a relatively quiet place, which is also suited for picnicking and also for children to have a great time playing in the river.

Just 1 kilometre west from Negawa Ryokudo is Zanbori River, also lined with Sakura trees. The JR Chuo-Line track is located near Zanbori River and this is hence one of the popular spots amongst photographers to have a beautiful photo of Sakura trees together with their favourite trains!

Negawa Ryokudo

Address: 4-11-1, Shibasakicho, Tachikawa City, Tokyo

Access: 2-minute walk from Shibasaki-Taiikukan Station (Tama city monorail line)

Picnic under a huge Sakura tree at Nogawa Park!

1/2 Picnic under a huge tree at Nogawa Park!

2/2 Another View

Nogawa Park is located in Chofu and is a park which can be enjoyed all year round. Named after a small river, Nogawa River, flowing through the park, it is a popular park amongst families with children.

During spring time, the huge Sakura trees located around Nogawa Park will bloom, making it a fantastic spot for Hana-mi. You can set up your picnic mats on the fields around the park, or even better, under one of the huge trees you can find.

There are playgrounds located in the Wanpaku-square section of the park too where children can enjoy!

Nogawa Park

Address: 1-3, Nomizu, Chofu City, Tokyo

Access: 10-minute walk from Tama station of Seibu Tama line

The “Koganei-Zakura” of Koganei Park

Koganei Park is best known for the breath-taking Sakura scenery there known as the “Koganei-Zakura”. Around 1700 Sakura trees of various species are found along the park, creating a fantastic view with various shades of pink flowers. The view in Koganei Park is selected as one of the “100 Best Sakura Sceneries in Japan”.

During the weekend of the Sakura full bloom in Tokyo, the Koganei Sakura Festival will be held where locals set up numerous stalls with traditional food and tea. Traditional Japanese performances will be conducted too.

There is also an area in Koganei Park where old Steam Locomotives are placed on display. Popular amongst fans, during spring, a unique photo of Sakura together with Steam Locomotives can be taken too! Furthermore, there are various flower gardens located in Koganei Park, allowing visitors to enjoy not just the pink Sakura flowers but also others of different colours.

Koganei Park

Address: 1-13-1, Sekino-cho, Koganei City, Tokyo

Access: 4-minute bus ride from JR Higashi-koganei station

Enjoy barbeque at the Total Recreation Park!

1/2 Sakura along Total Recreational Park

2/2 Another view

Total Recreation Park is located in Edokawa-ku, a region in Tokyo known for having huge spaces of parks. It is a huge park with a length about 3 kilometres where visitors can enjoy a wide array of activities.

One of the areas available is a fountain pool located near the entrance where children can enter. At the eastern end of the park, there is also an area where children up to Primary School can enjoy Pony rides for free!

Barbeque pits are also available in the park. In Spring, the Sakura trees will bloom with beautiful pink flowers, and Total Recreation Park is one of the must-visit places for families to enjoy not just the flowers, but also other activities!

Sports Recreation Complex in Edogawa Ward

Address: 6-11, Nishikasai, Edokawa Ward, Tokyo

Access: 3-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Tozai line Nishi-Kasai station

To enjoy the most spectacular Sakura flowers…

In Tokyo, it is predicted this year (2017) that the Sakura flowers will start to bloom around 24th March and will be in full bloom on 2nd April. Different Sakura species will be in full bloom at different periods, though, so don’t worry if you are unable to make it exactly on that day. Make sure you check out these 5 places to experience the best Hanami picnic ever!