Matsumae Castle Town & Park (10,000 Cherry Trees & 250 Varieties)

Category: Feudal Castle & Cherry Blossom Heritage | Location: Hokkaido

Resting at the southernmost tip of the Oshima Peninsula gazing across the Tsugaru Strait toward Honshu, Matsumae Town stands as Hokkaido's sole authentic feudal Edo-period castle town (Joka-machi). Ruled for centuries by the samurai lords of the Matsumae clan, who held exclusive trade charters with the indigenous Ainu and safeguarded northern frontiers under the Tokugawa Shogunate, the historic town is imbued with samurai heritage, earning it the celebrated epithet 'Little Kyoto of the North' (Kita no Shokyoto). The historic jewel of the township is Matsumae Castle (also known as Fukuyama Castle), the northernmost traditional Japanese-style feudal fortress in the nation, refortified in 1854 during the tense Bakumatsu period against potential Western naval incursions. While the main three-story keep (Tenshukaku) was faithfully reconstructed following a tragic municipal blaze, the original Honmaru Gomon (Inner Citadel Main Gate) miraculously survived and is honored as a prestigious National Important Cultural Property. The sprawling parklands enveloping the fortress, known as Matsumae Park, are celebrated among 'Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots' (Nihon Sakura Meisho Hyakusen). The grounds boast an astounding collection of over 10,000 cherry trees spanning 250 distinct varieties—the richest botanical assortment in the country. Because these cultivars blossom sequentially across early, mid, and late blooming cycles, the annual Matsumae Cherry Blossom Festival stretches for an entire month from late April through late May, surrounding the ancient castle ramparts in a mesmerizing sea of pastel pink against the azure Tsugaru Strait.