An absolute province for cherry blossom indulgence, Sewaritei offers magnificent hanami sakura viewing by the Yodogawa River in Kyoto.
Sewaritei is a section of the Yodogawa Riverside Park that is abundant in large sakura trees that have been maintained and well-kept for many decades. Every spring, the park becomes a lively event in celebration of Hanami, Japan’s traditional cherry blossom viewing festival that takes place nationwide.
Cherry Blossoms Galore
Easily accessible via Yodo station in Kyoto’s city of Yawata, the event runs for about two weeks during March and/or April (depending on the year’s cherry blossom forecast) when the sakura are in full bloom! Entry is only 100 yen (less than 1 USD) and is considered a donation for the workers that help maintain Sewaritei’s beauty year by year.
Beautiful Low-Hanging Branches
To truly appreciate the width and depth of these massive cherry blossom trees, I recommend walking down the ramp to either side of the hill.
Here, you can see the magnificence of these enormously long branches that exceed the length of their tree trunks!
Beautiful cherry blossom petals in full bloom hang over the entire incline of the hill and almost touch the footpath below.
Stunning Photo Opportunities
When you get up close and personal with these lovely pink petals, you realize just how many individual petals there are that cover a single branch. I especially admire the color contrast between the dark black branches and the bright pink cherry blossoms. The beauty of the scenery is only amplified by the misty blue mountains in the backdrop and the lush green grass fields. Honestly a very colorful spectacle at Sewaritei!
Amazing Food!
The only thing that can make a great view even better is a solid feed!
During Hanami, food trucks are set up along the road for about a kilometer or so, selling everything from Turkish kebabs to Japanese takoyaki.
I had a kebab from Arapsun which is also 100% halal-certified. For carnival prices which are typically inflated, it only cost me 800 yen, a far more affordable price than you’d get in Sydney, Australia.
A classic carnival favorite in Japan is the 10 Yen Pan – a coin-shaped sweet bread with a stretchy mozzarella cheese filling.
Inspired by the Korean 10 Won Bread, you’ll see both a 10 yen and a 10 won design on either side of the bread.
Sadly, this delicious treat doesn’t actually cost 10 yen, but actually 50x more at 500 yen, which is only about 3.50 USD, so still well worth it!
To top off a series of savory dishes, there’s nothing quite like a good old-fashioned Japanese classic – matcha green tea ice cream!
There are plenty of soft serve stalls at Sewaritei during the Hanami festival, so take your pick!
I saw many intriguing flavors, including lavender and sakura, though they were sold out by the time I arrived (must’ve been the bomb!).
The Perfect Hanami!
You can’t ask for much more than perfect weather (except for a few clouds toward the end), great company, and perfectly bloomed cherry blossoms from Kyoto’s largest, most well-grown sakura trees! While peak bloom has ended here in the Kansai region for 2025, be sure to put Sewaritei – Yodogawa Riverside Park on your next Japan spring itinerary!
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