Takato Castle

Takato Castle in Ina, Nagano Prefecture is famous for one thing above all others: its cherry blossoms. Over 1,500 Takato Kohigan cherry trees, a variety with smaller and deeper pink flowers than the Somei Yoshino common elsewhere, bloom across the castle ruins in late April, about two weeks after Tokyo's peak. The castle itself was demolished in the Meiji era and only the earthworks and stone foundations remain, but they form a pleasant park spread across a low hilltop. A small shrine sits within the grounds. The annual blossom festival brings food stalls and crowds, and illuminations run in the evenings during peak bloom.