Enjoy Cherry Blossoms and Hot Springs, Experience Spring on the Izu Peninsula
Located in Kawazu Town in the southeastern part of the Izu Peninsula, this originally quiet town is nestled between mountains and the sea, with a river gently flowing into the bay. What truly brought it into the public eye is the Kawazu cherry blossoms that bloom every early spring, more than a month earlier than in Tokyo and other places, making it one of Japan’s “earliest places to welcome spring.” Come to Kawazu and feel the charm of this town in spring!
🌸 The 36th Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival
From February 7 to March 8, 2026, along the Kawazu River in Kawazu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture. About 850 Kawazu cherry trees bloom along the river, with a total of 8,000 cherry trees in the town. The blooming period is more than a month earlier than Tokyo, making it one of the earliest places in Japan to welcome spring. During the festival, an open-air market is set up along the riverbank where you can enjoy local delicacies while admiring the blossoms; after nightfall, the flowers are illuminated, creating a romantic atmosphere. Stroll under the blossoms and feel the gentle breath of early spring.
🌸 Kawazu Seven Waterfalls
Located in Nashimoto, Kawazu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture. Seven waterfalls with different styles are distributed along a 1.5 km valley, with a walking trail that takes about an hour. Next to the Shokei Waterfall stands a bronze statue of “The Dancing Girl of Izu,” adding a literary touch; along the way, you’ll pass the uniquely designed double spiral loop bridge, a visual marvel. The natural tranquility and changing scenery make it an ideal extension for getting close to nature after cherry blossom viewing.
🌸 Kawazu Bagatelle Park
Located at 1073 Mine, Kawazu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture. A French-style garden modeled after the Bagatelle Rose Garden in Paris, with roses beginning to bloom in spring and flourishing in autumn. The park has about 6,000 rose plants of 1,100 varieties. On clear days, you can enjoy views of the Southern Alps and Mount Fuji, blending exquisite horticulture with majestic mountain scenery, peaceful yet vast.
🌸 Odoriko Onsen Hall
Located at 457-1 Mine, Kawazu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture. Situated in the Mine Onsen area, the setting of “The Dancing Girl of Izu” story, this purely Japanese-style building features a painted eave with a dancing girl motif, evoking a literary atmosphere. The open-air bath is built along the Kawazu River, where in spring you can soak in the hot springs while admiring the Kawazu cherry blossoms, with the sound of flowing water and swaying flower shadows creating a serene and poetic experience.
🌸 Mine Onsen Great Geyser Park
Located at 446-1 Mine, Kawazu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture. This natural geyser-type hot spring, drilled in 1926, still erupts with a force of about 600 liters per minute, reaching heights of up to 30 meters. The geyser show is performed hourly from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM daily (closed on Tuesdays and Fridays), with hot water shooting into the air and steam filling the surroundings, creating a spectacular scene; visitors can also try making hot spring eggs and enjoy foot baths on site.
Kawazu is the place where spring begins earliest. Here, cherry blossoms, hot springs, mountains and sea, literature, and handmade sweets intertwine into a vivid spring tapestry—early cherry blossoms as promised, mountains and sea embraced, and the warmth of life close at hand. Come to Kawazu and start your unique journey.