The perfect place for a spring stroll in Joetsu

I feel like a broken record because I've mentioned it so many times here, but I really don't like crowds. A lot of popular places to enjoy seasonal blooms seem to come with crowds by default because they're so well-known, and over the years I've grown more and more weary of those spots.

These days I try and find places without hordes of people, and this spot in my home prefecture is a real gem. I'm almost reluctant to share it online, but I also don't want to gatekeep special spots...so if you're willing to travel for it, then go for it!

This is the Yasuzuka Riverside Road in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, and it's a beautifully maintained path which stretches on for around six kilometers alongside the Oguro River. Somewhere around 500 cherry trees line the pathway, so it's an absolutely beautiful place for a peaceful springtime stroll. As you can see on my visit last year in April, I had the place to myself, sans a few other walkers elsewhere along the route.

It takes about an hour and a half to complete the 6 kilometers one-way if you're walking at a fairly leisurely pace, so if you plan to do a full circuit I would recommend blocking out around three hours. The time goes by very quickly though when you're enjoying all of the natural scenery!

If you can't visit the riverside road in spring, it's also meant to be beautiful in autumn (around the October timeframe) when willow leaf sunflowers are in bloom. I can't personally vouch for the autumn months, but I do hope I'll get the chance to enjoy that season at some point in the future. I want to re-visit for sakura season this year, though – it seems like peak bloom for this year is set to be around April 8, so I'm working on my scheduling already!

I would highly recommend this sakura spot to anyone who enjoys peaceful springtime walks with dreamy scenery. I'm still so amazed that somewhere so beautiful had virtually no-one around when I visited last year. If you visit I hope you love it, too.

Access Info:

There isn't a dedicated place to park by the walking route, but it is pretty easy to access by public transport. If you head to Mushigawa Osugi Station (served by the Hokuhoku Line) the path is about 10 minutes on foot from there.