Cherry Blossoms and a Castle at Matsumae Park A Cherry Blossom Treat and the Keep Beyond the Flowering Branches

I came to Matsumae Park in spring wanting to see the castle as well as the cherry blossoms. It was late April into early May, and the morning air still felt a little chilly, so I walked with a coat over my pink top. When I reached the south side of the keep, the white walls and layered roofs appeared through the flowering branches, and I stopped in my tracks.

When I tried to fit the whole castle in the frame, I started noticing the blossoms in front of me instead. As I moved closer to the flowers, the castle in the distance kept appearing and disappearing. I wandered a little, looking for a spot where I could see both clearly, but in the end I just gazed at the branch in front of me. I was already happy before I even decided what to put in the frame. Just seeing the blossoms and the castle together made me feel my trip had been worth it.

I took out the sakura mochi I'd brought for the blossom viewing and set it on the paper. A thin wrapper held the sweet bean paste, with a cherry leaf on the outside. The first bite was sweet, with a hint of salt afterward, and made me want to look back at the blossoms. I felt silly, watching the flowers and my snack by turns, and laughed with the paper still in my hand.

I'm told Matsumae's sakura mochi is made with a thin, crêpe-like wrapper. A treat inspired by the blossoms somehow lets me keep enjoying the view as I eat. I didn't rush the next bite, gazing at the layers of blossoms beyond the roof of the keep. I didn't want to think about heading home until the last of the sweetness had faded.

The park's cherry trees bloom in stages, from early varieties to late ones. I'm told their blossoms open in succession from mid-April through late May, so depending on when you visit, you'll see different flowers. These blossoms are beautiful right now, and I can already feel myself wanting to come back. Looking up at the flowers, I thought that one of the joys of blossom viewing might be getting to return to the same place.

I ate the last bite and folded up the paper. The snack was gone, but the cherry blossoms were still right in front of me. I thought I'd look at the castle's shape once more, then take a slow walk closer to the flowers. The town also has cherry-scented sweets called Hana no Matsumae and monaka shaped like the castle. I still had the pleasure of choosing a souvenir inspired by what I'd seen today, and it made even the plans for after my walk feel exciting.