Sakura along the banks of Nagaoka's Kaki River [SPOT REPORT]

One thing that I appreciate about sakura season in Japan is that you don't necessarily need to visit a specific park or garden to enjoy the blossoms. You can regularly find them lining roads and riversides in smaller urban centers and rural areas, and since they're not always well-known sakura spots they're usually free of crowds.

Fluffy blossoms earlier this week in Nagaoka. Some trees were at their peak while others weren't fully bloomed.

One example of this is along the Kaki River (Kakigawa) which runs through the city of Nagaoka in Niigata. You'll find quite a few somei yoshino sakura trees around the area, making it a lovely spot for a stroll at the moment. I was there earlier this week, and some of the trees were in full bloom while others hadn't yet reached their peak – so I think if you live in Niigata Prefecture (or you're willing to travel!) you still have time to stop by.

The Kaki River in Nagaoka has numerous somei yoshino trees lining the banks.

This was a really relaxing sakura experience, in contrast to a few other places I've visited this spring that have felt very crowded. Don't get me wrong, I've been extremely pleased to see so many people out enjoying the blooms at places like Yoyogi Park and Takada Castle after the last few years, but sometimes you just want to appreciate the flowers solo!

Practical info:

The sakura trees by the river are located around 10 minutes on foot from Nagaoka Station, or around 20 minutes by car from the Nagaoka IC on the Kanetsu Expressway. Keep in mind there's not a designated parking area – personally for this spot I think visiting via public transport is easier.

The lined riverbanks are in the Yumicho area, if you input "Yumicho, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-0047" into Google Maps it should help you out!