Mato Park

Mato Park in Yokote, Akita, is listed among Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots, with over 2,000 trees blanketing the hillside in bloom from late April into early May, later than most of Honshu due to Akita's northern latitude. A large reflective pond at the park's base doubles the blossom canopy, and rowboats are available during the festival period. Walking trails climb through the groves to hilltop viewpoints over the Yokote basin and the Ou Mountains. Yokote also hosts its kamakura snow hut festival each February, making the city a worthwhile stop across two very different seasons.