Matsumae Castle is located in Matsumae Town, the southernmost part of Hokkaido, facing Aomori Prefecture across the Tsugaru Strait. In 2015, the new Hokkaido Shinkansen line will open, connecting Aomori to Shin-Hakodate. Although there is no Shinkansen station in Matsumae Town, the journey from Tokyo to Hakodate will become shorter. Matsumae is renowned for its cherry blossoms, not only in Hokkaido but throughout Japan. The best time to visit is in late April when over 10,000 cherry blossoms, including about 250 varieties of ‘Somei-yoshino,’ are in full bloom. ‘Somei-yoshino,’ Japan’s most popular cherry blossom, is particularly beautiful because the flowers … Continue reading How to enjoy Matsumae-jo seeing Sakura festival in April, The Most Northern Castle in Japan