Let’s hike through the heirloom cherry tree preserve!

The Tama Forest Science Garden is the best kept cherry blossom secret in Tokyo—it’s a fabulous preserve where seventy-two types of heirloom cherry trees grow wild. And unlike the crowded beauty spots in the city, you can walk for miles without encountering another soul!

This horticulture park was established to preserve and research ancient varietals of cherry trees, allowing them to grow wild in a natural setting. Because these aren’t the pruned and curated beauties of instagram perfection, you can see just how big they get!

Check out the tiny hiker on the trail below:

The many kilometers of trails wind around the hills and through the valleys, offering several hours of hiking pleasure, with lovely views at every turn.

One of the great features of this preserve is that there are several levels of trails—you can choose to meander through the valleys and look up at the trees, or climb halfway up the hill and look down, like this.

There are sweeping vistas from the hilltops…

and glades paved with violets in the valleys.

It takes about two hours to do a complete loop of the preserve, all on excellently groomed gravel and dirt trails.

There are seventy-two different varieties of cherry trees here, from delicate mountain cherries…

to blushing double-petalled lovelies…

…and late-blooming pink ballerinas.

They reach peak bloom at different times, of course. There are trees in full bloom from early March through mid-April, but my photos were all shot between March 20 and April 3. There’s a chart that’s updated daily to classify trees by bloom status—you can ask at the entry kiosk what’s in peak bloom that day, and they can show you on the map which numbered trail markers to shoot for. (The list is only in Japanese—I’ve added the English translations.)

Here’s a map of the preserve, with numbered points that match the clearly labeled signposts along the trails

Also…cherry trees aren’t the only flora and fauna worth seeing at the Tama preserve—these exotic Jack-in-the-pulpit carnivorous plant natives burst forth at the same time as the cherries…

And although I’ve never seen these menacing wild monkeys, I’ve definitely heard them!

But the most famous Tama forest fauna are the Giant Japanese Flying Squirrels. Sadly, they’re nocturnal and don’t come out until after closing hours…

but signs pointing out evidence of their habitation are everywhere!

It’s hard to believe that this spacious natural preserve is only a ten minute walk from Tama Station, because it feels like it’s worlds away from the big city. It’s well worth a visit!

Tama Forest Science Garden website

Open: Every day except closed Mondays

Hours: 9:30 – 16:00

Admission: Adults ¥400, Children and students: ¥150

MAP

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly Japanagram newsletter, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had