Spring (Late March- Early April) for Sakura or Autumn (Early November- Early December) for fall foliage? Japan is famous for both sceneries and you can’t seem to decide... I totally understand. I’ve been there too in that exact situation.
But guess what, Obara in Aichi prefecture might be the perfect solution to this dilemma— a place that will give you the best of both worlds! A little words of introduction: Obara is a humble village in the city of Toyota, located in the north-central Aichi Prefecture in Japan.
In Obara, soft pinkish Sakura will come to a full bloom alongside with amazing fiery red maple leaves during autumn, and if you’ve seen it with your own eyes, you can definitely feel the heat of this competition! It is like God was too distracted by the beauty of Obara, He got the season timeline all mixed up!
Not only that it is an mesmerizing backdrop for your instagram feed, walking among the sakura and maple trees is a touching experience… You start to think how great is mother nature and all the magic she had created… Well at least I felt that, I’m a sentimental person.
This species of 5-peteled cherry blossoms is a rather rare one, called the Shikizakura, which is said to be a cross breed between the Mamezakura and Edohigan species. Shiki means four seasons… however, technically they only bloom twice a year, during spring and autumn. In English, they are sometimes referred to as the winter cherry blossom. Isn’t this magical? ✨
Approximately 10 thousand Shikizakura trees grace the hillside of Obara, and the peak of autumn is the ultimate time to visit, usually from early to late November. It is said that in the early 1900s, a physician name Genseki Fujimoto brought a Shizizakura seedling from Nagoya city. Since then, the tree became a parent tree (Maehora Shikizakura) and its offsprings spread through the region. Now, people in Obara honor the 100-year-old tree by designating it as the “official tree” of Obara District, a natural monument by Aichi Prefecture and is carefully protected since 1978.
The tourism Bureau of Toyota City had put together a useful tourist map to help determine the best places for Sakura and Fall Foliage viewing. If you are interested, feel free to download it here.
Admission fee: Free
Time spent: 2 hours
How to get there:
From Nagoya Station, take the JR Chuo Line for Tajimi. Align at Tsurumai Station (approximately 7 min travel time). From Tsurumai Station, take the Nagoya City Subway Tsurumai Line bound for Toyotashi. Get off at the last stop (approximately 40 min travel time. From Toyotashi Station, take a Toyota Oiden bus on the Obara-Toyota Line bound for Kaminigi to the Obara Ookusa bus stop (approximately 1 hour).
What to do if you have more time in Obara?
Obara was well known as the home of traditional Japanese "Washi" mulberry paper. If you are like me, a “hands on” person, you will enjoy a traditional washi craft workshop. In this workshop, experts will explain how to create the crafts and teach special techniques to achieve them. Or, you might as well admire the work of an expert. Enjoy the exhibits of artworks by Tatsukichi Fujii, the founder of the Japanese paper arts in Obara. Are you into performing arts? If you are, watching a Obara Kabuki play would be a perfect activity to pass your time. Began as a local play dedicated to the Shinto shrine during the 18th century, Kabuki gained so much popularity through the years… Nowadays, two regular performances are held annually in Obara.Full Video on my 4 days in Aichi Prefecture
Thank you for reading!
My trip to Japan was made possible by the Tourism Bureau of Aichi Prefecture. To plan your trip, I highly recommend using this site as a guide: Aichi NOW
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