Tone Canal Expansive Views of Cherry Blossoms [SPOT REPORT]

On Monday, March 27th, I had some errands to run on the Tobu Urban Park Line. Every trip, I make a point of looking up as the train approaches the Tone Canal, the 8-kilometer-long waterway between the Tone and Edo Rivers. This canal, built in the Meiji era, was once an important transport link across the Kanto region, but as railways and highways flourished, it fell into disuse. Today, the water level is much lower than in its heyday and the steep banks are covered in grass and landscaping.

It's a treat in late March to see this wide valley spreading out below you as you cross on the rail bridge. On both the north and south banks are rows of cherry trees. On Monday, with the sun struggling to break through the clouds, the blossoms are just at or past their peak.

I stopped at Unga Station to take in the sight.

Looking south across the canal, yukiyanagi and sakura

On the north side is Ungamizube Park, a great lookout with two rows of cherry trees arching over the street.

A sidestreet parallel to the canal that feeds Nagareyama Highway

On a Monday afternoon, there weren't the huge crowds you might expect at more well-known hanami spots but quite a few people picnicking under the trees. You have to be careful crossing the two-lane highway as it is a very busy arterial road even in the middle of the day.

On the east side of the highway is the Noda City campus of the Tokyo University of Science. The southern edge of the campus has its own avenue of cherry trees above the waterway.

International students marveling at the blossoms

I noticed a lot of drivers and their passengers slowing down to see the blossoms, and not a few impatient drivers leaning on their horns.

I don't recommend that you come by car since there is nearly no public parking. The best way to reach the canal and park is on the Tobu Noda Line from Kashiwa Station (about 20 minutes).