Held in February, the Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the blooming of kawazu sakura. It takes place at Nishiharabatake Park in Kanagawa, where you’ll see bright yellow nanohana (canola blooms) compliment the vivid pink of kawazu cherry blossoms. You can also see Mt. Fuji on a clear day. Here’s what you need to know to plan a trip.
Matuda Cherry Blossom Festival 2024
The Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled to take place from Feb 2nd to March 3rd, 2024, from 9:00 to 16:00. The admission fee is ¥300 for adults aged 18 and above. and ¥100 for children aged 6 to 17. Entrance is free town residents.
See more: Best Places to See Kawazu Sakura
Attractions
Matsuda Sky Swing
A large pink swing at the summit. The chair is chained so you can’t actually use it as a swing but it’s good for taking photos.
Slides
There are two slides in the park: a roller slide and a regular slide. Both allow you to slide through a canopy of cherry blossoms. Because the roller slide allows you to control your speed and stop midway for photos, it’s more popular and attracts a queue.
Mini Train
Both adults and children can ride this 20-minute attraction where a mini train goes through the park. It moves at a slow speed so it’s a relaxing way to see cherry blossoms. It’s a very popular attraction and tickets sell out pretty fast on peak dates, so make sure to come here first and buy your tickets before exploring the rest of the park.
Food Stalls
There are a few food stalls selling light snacks like sakura mochi and ice cream near the mini train. The herb garden has more filling options like burgers and curry, but they may not always be open. Some people bring their own snacks and eat in the park. There are plenty of open spaces for picnics, but none of these are under cherry blossom trees.
Travel Tips
- Wear shoes for walking. Nishiharabatake Park is a small hill and while the slopes are gentle, going up can feel tiring especially when you don’t have proper shoes.
- Bring cash for snacks. You can use IC and credit cards for the tickets but not at the food stalls.
- The mini train tickets sell out fast so make sure you buy them first thing. The park opens at 9 and when I visited, tickets were already sold out at 10.
- Wear layers that you can easily remove. Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day, so it’s best to have clothing that you can wear or take off depending on the temperature.
Video
The Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival is featured in the following video about the Best Places to See Kawazu Sakura in Japan. The segment starts at 1:40.
How to Get to Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival
Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival (Matsuda Sakura Matsuri)
Location: Nishiharabatake Park
09:00 to 17:00
Festival Admission Fee: ¥300
10-minute walk from JR Matsuda Station
15-minute walk from Odakyu Shin-Matsuda Station
Shuttle buses from/to JR Matsuda Station are available on festival dates. The fare is ¥200 for adults, ¥100 for children, and free for infants.
