The cherry blossoms (sakura in Japanese) bloom in spring in Japan, and every prefecture has their own festival (omatsuri in Japanese) to celebrate this special time. It is so special because the cherry blossoms are in bloom for only a few weeks, requiring a special climate in order to show their full colours.
This article is of our day trip to Okazaki in Aichi prefecture. It is close to Toyota city and Nagoya, about 3 hours drive from Tokyo. Okazaki has the Iyeyasu Samurai parade every year, famous for the historic samurai battle reenactments.
Cherry blossom lined street with lanterns in Okazaki, the start of the walk to Okazaki castle.
Getting off the train at Naka-Okazaki station, we followed the lantern and cherry blossom lined streets toward Okazaki-jo (Okazaki castle).
Cherry blossom (sakura) tree closeup, at the river near Okazaki castle.
Approaching Okazaki castle was the main area to view the cherry blossoms.
Ohanami (Cherry blossom viewing) by the river at the Iyeyasu festival.
Cherry blossom viewing is known as “ohanami” in Japanese. It is very popular, groups of people get out their blue mats, mini-BBQs and beer cans, to sit under the cherry blossom trees and enjoy the spring day.
Lanterns line a red bridge leading to Okazaki castle and more cherry blossom trees
A moat surrounds Okazaki castle, and crossing a red bridge you leave the main area with many people and many food stalls, to the outer castle area with more people and more food stalls.
Iyeyasu's Well outside Okazaki castle
The festival celebrates the cherry blossoms, but also the famous samurai Iyeyasu Tokugawa. He was a famous samurai, known to be a brilliant tactician who fought and won many great battles for the emperor.
Ninja and Samurai clash in a memorial battle at Okazaki's Iyeyasu Festival
A reenactment of a battle is in full swing, showing a ninja clan attempting to storm the castle. Iyeyasu and his samurai warriors repel the attack.
Samurai lined up and prepared to fire.
Before the Ninja vs. Samurai battle above, a parade of samurai departed the main “battlefield” for a parade around Okazaki. They return for yet another, and very amazing reenactment.
Fireworks signal the end of the Iyeyasu battle, seen from under the Cherry Blossom trees
The samurai lined up and fired replica guns (video coming soon). The battle ended with fireworks… in the daytime!
The crowd viewed the battle and parade from under the Sakura (cherry blossom) trees
We viewed the battle from under the cherry blossom trees, enjoying some snacks and Yebisu beer.
This post shows just one of many times I have enjoyed the cherry blossom season, look at the cherry blossom category page for more posts.
Some beautiful pictures. Hanami season is my favourite time of year in Japan with many great festivals and events and many involving a lot of eating and drinking.
[...] around the world and steeped in tradition within Japan. There many annual festivals (such as the Samurai Parade during Cherry Blossom season). We went to a festival in April in Okayama and saw Japan’s [...]
[...] Japanese celebrate New Year’s Eve – the free booze and hot soup makes up for the cold.Cherry blossom festival and samurai parade – celebrating one of the most famous samurai in Japan’s history.The largest dancing [...]
We miss you Okazaki on the 1995 I’am stay at Okazaki arund one year. Kindly please give us the Foto …abaut OKAZaki City thank you,