​ Springtime in Japan is a season of flowers with blossoming trees and floral displays and sculpted floral-inspired sweets.

In addition to the cherry blossoms, Japan's spectrum of floral blooms include pink moss, white, red, rosé, and purple azaleas and lavender wisteria.

The locations for enjoying the blooms can be reached in Tokyo or with the Tobu Railway on half-day trips from Japan's capital.

Sumida Park, Tokyo

(Full bloom: Late March-early April)

Tokyo Skytree and Asakusa, Sumida Park is home to the 1000 cherry blossoms of Sumidagawa River.

During peak sakura season, the park displays nighttime illuminations, which look especially attractive when viewed from yakatabune, the water buses, and other vessels that along the Sumida River.

At the park itself, seasonally vended foods include: Chomei-ji Sakura-mochi (rice cakes wrapped in salted cherry blossom leaves) and Muko-jima Kototoidango (specialty dumplings).

www.visit-sumida.jp/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/sumida_english.pdf

Satte Gongendo Sakura Tsutsumi

(Full bloom: Late March-early April)

Satte Gongendo Sakura Tsutsumi, in Saitama Prefecture, just north of Tokyo on the Tobu Railway line from Asakusa,, features nearly 1000 blossoming cherry trees along a 1 km route.

The surrounding area also contains fields of citron-colored rapeseed blossoms, creating a dramatic contrast between pink and yellow.

From sundown through to 10pm the cherry blossoms lining the Sotonobashi Bridge are illuminated.

www.gongendo.jp/en

Ashikaga Flower Park, Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture

(Full bloom: Late April-early May)

Ashikaga Flower Park is located about two hours north of Tokyo along the Tobu Railway line.

The park includes more than 350 branches of wisteria flowers and more than 5000 azalea shrubs, producing a fantastic, otherworldly scene.

A new Ashikaga Flower Park Station is scheduled to open in April 2018, which will improve the convenience of onward travel from the park to Tochigi City, which still retains buildings from Japan's feudal days (Edo period), and to Nikko city, home to the Shrines and Temples of Nikko, a UNESCO world heritage site.

Tobu Treasure Garden, Gunma Prefecture

(Full bloom: Early April-late April)

In season, the Tobu Treasure Garden becomes a carpet of nearly 200,000 blooms of pink moss. In some years, the pink moss blooms at the same time as the cherry blossoms, creating a memorable combination.

Visitors to the garden can also walk through displays of nemophila and other colourful spring flowers.

Tobu Railway

The Tobu Railway Group consists of 90 companies, covering the longest operating distance in the Kanto area, leading to numerous tourist attractions, including:

• Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree Town in Tokyo
• Nikko and Kinugawa Onsen, known for world heritage sites and natural hot springs
• the Tatebayashi and Ashikaga areas, known for its blooming flower fields, and
• Kawagoe.

Useful links

www.gotokyo.org

www.tokyotokyo.jp