This cherry blossom season, you must visit Maruyama Park in Kyoto! You can even enjoy dining under the open sky beneath the cherry blossoms 🇯🇵—what a way to live!
⛩️ **Maruyama Park (円山公園)** 📍 **Location:** East of Yasaka Shrine. From Kyoto Station, take Bus 206 to "Kiyomizu-michi" and walk. Alternatively, get off at the subway station "Gion-Shijo," pass through Yasaka Shrine, and you’ll arrive—killing two birds with one stone. 🕙 **Open all day.** Illumination for night cherry blossoms is from sunset to 22:00. 💰 **Free admission.**
📸 **Photo Tips** Maruyama Park is home to a massive 200-year-old weeping cherry tree, known as the "Queen of Weeping Cherries" (scientific name: *Prunus pendula 'Hitoe-shira-higan'*). Its lush pink blossoms cascade like a waterfall. When the lights turn on at night, it looks like fireworks blooming in the sky ✨🎆. For portraits, stand beneath it and shoot upward—capturing both you and the cherry blossoms in the frame. Using flash enhances the effect!
🍱 **Dining Under the Cherry Blossoms Guide** 1️⃣ **Spot Selection:** Near the Gion weeping cherry tree, there’s an area with three food stalls operating during the cherry blossom season (mid-March to mid-April). Search for "Hanami Chaya Oto Wa" for the exact location. Traditional Japanese seating is available—perfect for eating and drinking under the blossoms.
Note: Besides food costs, there’s a ¥500 per person hourly seating fee. 2️⃣ **Food Recs:** The stalls offer a variety of snacks like yakitori, takoyaki, and sakura ice cream—it’s like a food street moved under the cherry trees 🤣. 3️⃣ **Seating Hack:** We arrived around 8 PM and found plenty of spots open.
🗺️ **Night Cherry Blossom Route** Kiyomizu-dera ➡️ Kōdai-ji ➡️ Maruyama Park ➡️ Yasaka Shrine ➡️ Hanamikoji Street ➡️ Kiyamachi-dori (shortest path).
Kansai is still chilly—bring a thick coat to stay warm while flower-viewing! 🥶
🍃 I’m **@Chen Fanfan**—check my profile for more Kyoto cherry blossom updates and travel guides. Follow me!
🥰 Share your cherry blossom reports and experiences in the comments—let’s chat!
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