The Matsuyama Shiroyama Koen Cherry Blossom Festival is held every year in early April in
Matsuyama,
Ehime Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,342,011 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. The
Matsuyama Castle Matsuyama Castle (松山城; -jō) is the name of several castles in Japan:
* Bitchū Matsuyama Castle, Takahashi, Okayama (former Bitchū Province)
* Matsuyama Castle (Iyo)
is a "flatland-mountain"-style Japanese castle that was built in 160 ...
is lit up with paper lanterns at night until 9 PM.
People eat home-cooked meals or take-out food under the cherry blossom tree, combined with drinking sake, talking and singing songs. The official song for the festival is Sakura Sakura, a traditional Japanese folk song. The preparation is that people have to line the Matsuyama castle with lanterns before the festival begins. It usually goes on for 3 days.
See also
*
Japanese festivals
Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. Many festivals have their roots in traditional Chinese festivals, but have undergone extensive changes over time to have little resemblance to ...
References
https://web.archive.org/web/20120320023114/http://www.holidaychic.co.uk/ultimate-luxury/2012/03/12/best-places-to-celebrate-japanese-cherry-blossom-festivals
Festivals in Ehime Prefecture
Flower festivals in Japan
Spring (season) events in Japan