Spots & Experiences
Kurile Cherry
The Kurile cherry is a small deciduous tree native to Hokkaido. Its flowers are smaller and more delicate than other cherry trees. You can find particularly beautiful examples of these trees on the grounds of Nemuro’s Seiryu-ji Temple. Along with their beauty, they’re famous for being over 130 years old. Nemuro City is the only place in Japan where the Kurile cherry is used as a sample tree to declare the blooming of cherry blossoms. Nemuro is the last place in Japan where cherry blossoms bloom, and in mid-May you can enjoy a unique Hokkaido cherry blossom viewing experience with the Kurile cherry trees.
*The content of the article is information as of 2023.
The Last Cherry Blossoms to Bloom in Japan
Nemuro is the final point of the cherry blossom front (the advance of cherry blossoms across Japan), with the cherry trees reaching full bloom around mid-May. In addition, while Yoshino cherry trees are used as sample trees for cherry blossom declarations nationwide, Nemuro City is the only city in Japan that uses the Kurile cherry trees as sample trees to declare that the cherry blossoms have started blooming.
Famous Cherry Blossom Spot: Seiryu-ji Temple
Seiryu-ji Temple in Nemuro City is famous for being the easternmost cherry blossom viewing spot in Japan. The Kurile cherry trees on the temple grounds are said to be over 130 years old and were brought back from Kunashir Island in the Meiji period (1868-1912) and transplanted here.
