Day 1: Cherry Blossoms at Seikoji Temple and Tsuruoka Park, Al ché-cciano

Starting with a warm welcome at Shonai Airport, first head to Kurayashiki Luna, a restaurant housed in a historical Edo-period building that was once a sake brewery. Enjoy a meal prepared with carefully selected local ingredients. Afterwards, visit Seikoji Temple to admire its four-hundred-year-old weeping cherry blossoms. Then, head into the heart of the city for a walk in Tsuruoka Park, named one of Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. Check into your hotel for the night, Suiden Terrasse. “Suiden” is the Japanese word for water-filled rice paddies. The hotel appears to float among the surrounding paddies, hence the name.

Day 2: Cherry Blossoms at Suge-ke and Mawatari, Matsugaoka Winery, Bankokuya Ryokan

Depart your hotel for Suge-ke, the former residence of Sannehide Suge. As a leading figure of the Shonai Domain, the residence was bestowed upon Suge by the lord of the domain. A highlight of the residence is the weeping cherry blossom tree in its garden. After admiring the weeping cherry blossoms, it’s on to Mawatari in southern Tsuruoka. Take in the majestic view of some 320 cherry trees blooming against the backdrop of Mount Gassan, a spectacle stretching about two kilometers along a small river. Travel to Matsugaoka to enjoy lunch at winery restaurant Pino Collina while gazing out at the vineyards. After lunch, visit Gyokusenji, a Zen temple with a garden designated a national Site of Scenic Beauty. Try zazen meditation, followed by matcha and sweets as you gaze out at the garden. Tonight, relax with hot springs and dinner at Ryokan Bankokuya in the Atami area.

Day 3: Cherry Blossoms at Hiyoriyama Park, Homma Museum of Art, Ken Domon Museum of Photography, Restaurant Nico

Depart your hotel for Sakata, a small city just north of Tsuruoka. At Hiyoriyama Park, in addition to the spectacle of some four hundred Somei Yoshino cherry blossom trees in bloom, you can also view a sengoku-bune sailing vessel and a hexagonal lighthouse. In this way, you can gain a sense of kitamae-bune culture. Nearby is the Homma Museum of Art, a facility located in the Kominato district of Sakata with ties to the Homma, a wealthy merchant family. Receive a guided tour by Director Tanaka, including the garden designated a national Site of Scenic Beauty. Enjoy an only-in-Sakata lunch at the popular French concept restaurant Nico. After lunch, shop for local artisanal goods and souvenirs at the Sankyo Soko. Lastly, visit the Ken Domon Museum of Photography to admire a great many of his works, including his photographic series Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples, which he considered the culmination of his life’s work. The architecture of the museum harmonizes with the surrounding nature. Return to Shonai Airport, where the tour ends.