Takada Castle Site Park

Step into Takada Castle Site Park and you’re walking the former grounds of Takada Castle, once home to Tadateru Matsudaira—Tokugawa Ieyasu’s sixth son—and now designated as a historic site of Niigata Prefecture. The park includes the reconstructed three-story Takada Castle turret along with facilities for learning and sports, including a library, a history museum, an athletics stadium, and a baseball field, so it’s a place local residents use year-round.

In spring, large numbers of visitors come from all over Japan to see the approx. 4,000 cherry trees planted in and around the park in bloom, and the area becomes lively and bustling.

The cherry blossoms at night are especially stunning: after sunset, paper lanterns are lit, and the turret, blossoms, and lantern glow reflected on the moat’s surface creates an enchanting scene. Takada Castle Site Park’s nighttime cherry blossoms are counted as one of Japan’s “Top 3 Night Cherry Blossom Spots,” alongside Hirosaki Park in Aomori Prefecture and Ueno Park in Tokyo.

The park also features a cherry blossom tunnel that stretches for approx. 300 meters, making it another highlight. Come for the history, stay for the spring atmosphere—Takada Castle Site Park offers both, without needing much of a plan.