Jun 26, 2016 - 1 min read

Sakura Illumination at Nijō Castle

Enjoying cherry blossoms at night in Kyoto

By Jaime Wong

Community writer

1 of 7

It was a very popular spot for couples

I highly recommend to walk slowly and enjoy the feeling of being under lit up cherry blossoms

Less commercialised than other tourist spots, it was a pleasure to enjoy the sakura in relatively more peace and quiet

The dim lighting of the sakura gave the blossoms a whole different feel than from daytime

It was a different kind of magical to walk under sakura at night

The view of lit up sakura from across the moat

Shooting the soft pink against the black night sky was a new and delightful experience

Notice

Structural reinforcement and restoration will be carried out on all historic structures within Nijo-jo Castle. The various renovations are planned as follows: Honmaru-goten Palace (2017-2023), Tamarigura (2024-2027), Ninomaru-goten Palace (2024-2036), and Tonan Sumi-yagura (2028-2036). Read more

Latest on Nijo Castle

Nijō Castle holds their sakura or cherry blossom illumination around the end of March each year. Although the grounds do not boast as many sakura as other, more famous tourist spots (like Kiyomizu-dera for example), Nijō Castle's illumination still has its own charm and is worth a quick visit in the evening. Because their sakura illumination is perhaps relatively less well-known, the crowds are a bit smaller, making the sakura viewing more enjoyable and comfortable.

Having said that, I went at a late-ish hour (around half an hour before they closed at 9 pm) so perhaps that was another reason for the reduced crowds. Anyway, it was a lovely little spot to visit, with a very romantic atmosphere!