"Takato is SAKURA" Takato by tompt

Takato Travel Guide: 28 reviews and 69 photos

Takato is SAKURA and if you really want to see the cherry blossom at its best you have to visit Takato at the end of april. In the park are 1500 ! trees all in full bloom at the same time. It is a big happening and there are special shuttle busses to transport tourists to the park. Takato is not well known outside of Japan, so we were the only non japanese visitors there.

Takato is located in the Ina Basin in southeastern Nagano-ken. Takato is surrounded by the Japan Alps on all sides and was a castle town of the feudal lord Naito from the end of the 17th century to the end of the 19th century. Only the stonewalls and fences of Naito's castle remain. And in this Castle Ruin Park (Joshi Park) are over 1,500 Kohigan-Zakura cherry trees . As they are all the same species they bloom at the same time. Peak season is around april 20th, depending on the weather that year.

Learning in Takato was started by Tenzan Sakamoto, a samurai, and has been encouraged since then. Many people have studied at Shintokukan Takato's castle school and have become fine teachers and statesmen.
The old school building can still be seen in Takato.

honest and kind taxi drivers

We remember Takato as the town with the friendly people. Everybody was very willing to help us.
It started at the busstation. This busstation is relatively far from the minshuku we were staying in. So we decided to spend a little bit more and take a taxi. But the taxidriver thought that was stupid. Because we could take the shuttlebus to the cherryblossom park for 100 Yen and walk from there. That would save us a lot of Yen.
In our homecountry every taxi driver would have taken us to the hotel and charged us....
So then we had to take the bus, we asked the busdriver to tell where to get out. In return he wanted to know where we wher going to. We told him minshuku Yamabukiso. At our busstop we found two employees of the buscompany waiting for us. They showed us the way to the minshuku......
Our day was made.

As Takato is not very international we could not find much english information on the net.
But if you can read japanese you can try this pages:
- http://www.town.takato.nagano.jp/
- http://www.icon.pref.nagano.jp/usr/takato-s/

Last visit to Takato: Apr 2003
Intro Updated Feb 27, 2005
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Reviews (30)

JR bus to Shinjuku Transportation (5)

From Takato to Tokyo or vice-versa in season is easiest with the JR Shinjuku-Takato express bus. The JR bus leaves from... more travel advice

busstation Transportation (5)

If you decide to use public transport, this is where you will enter Takato. The Takato busstation. In season there is a... more travel advice

manko-ji Things to Do (8)

This temple is not vey special. But the tree in front of it is. A beautifull specimen. And ofcourse this tree is also... more travel advice

kenpuku-ji Things to Do (8)

At this temple are many stone statues. The temples signature is the buddha statue in front. The one with the ring around... more travel advice

Restaurants (7)
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Local Customs (4)
See All mountain vegetables
Off The Beaten Path (1)
Temples in the hills

Favorites (2)
See All Pink, pink, pink
Hotels (2)
See All he just laughed it all away
Sports & Outdoors (1)
Maretto Golf

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Comments (10)

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nepalgoods Sep 1, 2007 at 1:43 AM

Cherry Blossoms!! Just beautiful! Happy Birthday!
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dfactor Sep 14, 2005 at 3:08 AM

Wow, are those trees for real? They look amazing! I wish we've trees like these over here!
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tiger9090a Apr 20, 2005 at 11:07 AM

I'm really impressed. Great intro pic. Very good, comprehensive tips!
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chiara76 Dec 4, 2004 at 6:05 AM

I love this page as I love all what Japanese is:) Daruma dolls are great, I have one! Have you bought the Kokeshi doll ourself? They are also lovely. Greetings from Poland.
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orlikins May 18, 2004 at 2:05 AM

lovely photos! :)
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irisbe Apr 18, 2004 at 7:02 AM

Marvelous page and I can't get enough of the "no English"-story :-) The blossoms are awesome and it must be some experience to picknick at night in the parc!
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tuff Mar 12, 2004 at 8:53 AM

Great info and pics. I hope I can make it to Takato one day.
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Sharrie Jun 1, 2003 at 9:48 PM

So beautiful... So short-lived... So precious... Just so very very lucky to see them bloom !!! I wish I could see them again next Spring :-)))
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diamonddog May 25, 2003 at 5:28 AM

Wonderfull "pink" page !! fantastic pictures! :-)
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AyurinHiro May 24, 2003 at 8:13 PM

Very good choice to visit Takato! My mother also visited there this April. Great photos! :-)