A park at the top of Mt. Hirakiyama, 149 meters high, on Hakata Island along the Shimanami Kaido. About 1,000 cherry trees burst into bloom in spring. From the observation deck at the top you can see three bridges at once: the Hakata-Oshima Bridge, the Omishima Bridge and the Tatara Bridge.
108-38 Ikata-otsu, Hakata-cho, Imabari, Ehime
Sources: city.imabari.ehime.jp rurubu.jp
This moment in the journey
Dusk at Hirakiyama Park, Hakata Island
I crossed to the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, too. Hirakiyama Park sits on Hakata Island in Ehime, along the Shimanami Kaido. Seen from the air, the whole summit was dyed pink with cherry blossoms, a wooden lookout tower at the top and a bridge in the distance.
The sun sank toward the islands. Beyond the blossoms glowing in the sunset lay the scattered islands of the Seto Inland Sea.
Bridges link island to island. A white cable-stayed bridge spanned the evening sea. Watching the water from beneath the cherry branches, I was truly moved by this springtime scene in Shikoku.
Watch this scene on YouTube4:56
More notes from this journey
Mitoyo (Mt. Shiude)
Mt. Shiudeyama
At 352 meters, the highest peak on the Shonai Peninsula.
From: Chasing the cherry blossoms across spring Japan
Kagawa, Ehime & Tokyo
Kotohira-gu Shrine (Konpira-san)
A shrine on the eastern slope of Mt.
From: Chasing the cherry blossoms across spring Japan
Mitoyo (Mt. Shiude)
Chichibugahama Beach
A shallow beach stretching about a kilometer.
From: Chasing the cherry blossoms across spring Japan
Kagawa, Ehime & Tokyo
Tokyo's cherry blossom spots
Ueno Onshi Park has cherries from kanzakura blooming in February to Kanzan at its best in mid-to-late April, and draws close to 3.3 million visits in the blosso…
From: Chasing the cherry blossoms across spring Japan
Kagawa, Ehime & Tokyo
Tokyo's Sakurazaka slopes
On the slope I walked in Akasaka and Roppongi, the marker post says the road was laid in the mid-Meiji era and named for a large cherry tree that stood at its f…
From: Chasing the cherry blossoms across spring Japan
Kagawa, Ehime & Tokyo
Honetsukidori, Marugame's bone-in chicken
A bone-in chicken leg roasted in an oven, a dish rarely found elsewhere in Japan.
From: Chasing the cherry blossoms across spring Japan
More notes from Kanto
Kamogawa, Chiba
Namero on rice
Namero is a Chiba specialty handed down along the coast of the Boso Peninsula.
From: Zero minutes to the sea: summer vacation in Kamogawa
Kamogawa, Chiba
Sauce yakisoba
A staple of summer festival stalls.
From: Zero minutes to the sea: summer vacation in Kamogawa
Kamogawa, Chiba
Grilled seafood skewers
The taste of the festival stall, on a small charcoal grill on the veranda.
From: Zero minutes to the sea: summer vacation in Kamogawa
Kamakura, Kanagawa
A little Kamakura drinking set
At the farmers' market near Kamakura Station, growers from around Kamakura sell "Kamakura vegetables," many varieties in small quantities, grown with as little…
From: A hundred-year-old house in the town of the Enoden
Kamakura, Kanagawa
Kenchin-jiru
A soup of root vegetables and tofu, sautéed in oil before simmering.
From: A Kamakura-vegetable breakfast and a walk on Enoshima
Kamakura, Kanagawa
Kamakura morning set with grilled dried fish
Kenchin-jiru made with Kamakura vegetables, with dried fish from the market shop grilled alongside.
From: A Kamakura-vegetable breakfast and a walk on Enoshima