Takada Park Cherry Blossoms 2027 Dates TBA
高田公園の桜(日本三大夜桜) — Joetsu, Niigata (Koshinetsu)
Last updated: Fri, October 30, 2026
✓ No booking needed
- Typical bloom
- Dates TBA (usually between Apr 1 and Apr 19)
- Venue
- Takada Park (高田城址公園)
- Illumination
- Bonbori lanterns and flood-lighting from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, extended to 10:00pm at peak bloom, over roughly 4,000 trees and the castle moat. Free; in 2026 the Kanoukai ran Apr 3–19.
- Scale
- ~4,000 cherry trees
- Official site
- niigata-kankou.or.jp
Around 4,000 cherry trees surround Takada Castle's reconstructed keep and moat, and when lit by thousands of paper lanterns after dark, the reflection in the water has made this one of Japan's three great night-cherry-blossom spots (Nihon San-dai Yozakura).
Background
Takada Castle was built in 1614; the reconstructed three-story keep and gate seen today date to the 1990s and 2000s, but the tradition of illuminated night hanami here has run for over a century.
Getting there
About a 15-minute bus ride from JR Joetsu-Myoko Station, or a 20-minute walk from Takada Station on the Echigo Tokimeki Railway.
Tips
- The illuminated keep reflected in the moat, lit until 21:00-22:00 during peak bloom, is the signature shot — arrive at dusk to see the transition from day to night lighting.
- Being in snowy Niigata, this spot blooms noticeably later than Tokyo despite being roughly the same latitude, due to the region's heavy winter snowpack.
- The lanterns and flood-lighting run 6:00pm–9:00pm, extended to 10:00pm at peak bloom. The reflection of the three-storey turret in the moat is what people come for, and it only exists after dark.
- It is free, and 15 minutes on foot from Takada Station on the Echigo Tokimeki Railway. A cherry-blossom shuttle bus runs between the station and Takada Library during the peak days.
- There are eight car parks, the two largest holding 1,500 and 2,000 cars, so driving is realistic here in a way it is not at the Tokyo spots.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Takada Park Cherry Blossoms 2027?
- The 2027 dates have not been published by the organiser yet. Takada Park Cherry Blossoms is usually held between Apr 1 and Apr 19, so that is the safe window to hold in an itinerary; this page is updated once the organiser publishes the dates.
- When is the best time to see Takada Park Cherry Blossoms?
- Cherry blossoms here usually peaks Apr 1 – Apr 19. Bloom moves north with the weather and shifts by a week or more between years, so book flexible dates and check a bloom forecast about ten days out.
Maintained by Tetsu Yamamoto · Last verified against the official source: Fri, October 30, 2026
More to see while you’re there
- Cherry Blossoms across Japan in April 2027 (23 events)