🗺️ Kitakami City Park Tenshochi北上市立公園展勝地

Kitakami City Park is located along the Kitakami River, which flows from north to south through the central part of Iwate Prefecture. Covering an area of approximately 29,300 square meters, it is home to about 10,000 cherry blossom trees, making it a renowned cherry blossom viewing spot. The two rows of cherry blossom trees, stretching about 2 kilometers from the bridge pier of Coral Bridge within the park, are quite famous and have been selected as one of the "Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots." Every year, from mid-April to early May, the "Kitakami Tenshochi Cherry Blossom Festival" is held. During the event, sightseeing horse-drawn carriages travel back and forth along the cherry blossom avenue, and various traditional performances, including the Oni Kenbai dance, are held on weekends and national holidays. The park also features many highlights worth visiting. There is the "Tenshochi Rest House," designed after the rice granaries of the Nanbu clan, and the "Mutsu Folk Village," which has relocated and restored 28 historic buildings, as well as the "Tonegawa Hiroto Memorial Art Museum." This area is also a well-known spot for viewing azaleas, with 100,000 azalea trees planted in the park, blooming from mid-May to early June. It has walking paths and bike trails, making it a pleasant recreational area throughout the four seasons.

The cherry blossom tunnel, selected as one of the "Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots," is not to be missed. Places worth visiting include "Tenshōchi Rest Area," "Mutsu Folk Village," and "Tonegawa Kōjin Memorial Museum of Art." It features walking paths and bike trails, making it a pleasant recreational spot throughout the four seasons.