Nago Cherry Blossom Festival 2012
This year's cherry blossom festival in Nago City will be scheduled:
Jan. 28 (Sat) - Jan. 29 (Sun)
Festival Schedule (Flyer front)
Scroll down to look the back of the flyer.
This year's Nago Cherry Blossom Festival offers a few new programs, including "Transit Mall" on Nago Main Street, "Nago Tug-of-War" and free shuttle service.
I hope visitors take advantage of the shuttle service because it will take you all the way up to the top of Nangusuku Hill where you can look down the spectacular view of the pink carpet of flowers spreading on the hillside. There are two observatories on top of the hill; the North Observatory and the South Observatory. So, if you come down to Nago by car, park your car at Nago Fishing Port and find a bus stop for the shuttle. Take the bus all the way up to the hill and get of at the North Observatory. Although the bus will not take you to the South Observatory, I recommend that you take the view from the South because pine trees surrounding the North Observatory have grown up too tall, blocking the view. The two observatories are only 160 yards apart, so you can easily walk from the North Obs. to the South Obs.
After spending sometime on top of the hill, you can slowly hike down to the hoot of hill where you can start to see the line of food vendors. At the hoot of the hill, you will see Orion Beer Brewery nearby. The tour of the factory is open to everybody (legal drinking age is 20 or older in Japan--if you are younger, you'll be offered soft drink), but you need to call 0980-54-4103 to make reservation in advance.
From the foot of the hill, follow a path along Kouchi river a little more than half a mile toward the Bay of Nago (the opposite side of the hill), you will soon reach Nago Main Street. Where the path and the main street meet, you'll see a great banyan tree standing in the middle of the street. The festival head office will be set up next to the tree.
From the tree, stroll down the main street toward Nago Cross Roads, where you can take a look at a few bakeries in and near the newly built Nago Public Market Place.
From the market place (Nago Cross Roads), the parking area at Nago Fishing Port is only 300 yards away.
Lastly, I strongly recommend that you bring an umbrella or a raincoat; we usually experience heavy rain during the period of cherry blossom festival here. Also, it is always a good idea to exchange US dollar into Japanese currency in Naha or Chatan areas before you head down toward Nago because there is no currency exchange service in the festival area. (The nearest currency exchange machine is available in Nago JUSCO, which is about 2 miles away from the festival area.)
If you have difficulty in walking a long distance or in going up or down steep stairs, you might want to wait for a later shuttle to get down the hill. If you take a shuttle at the North Observatory bus stop, it will take you down to the nest stop at a shop next to the Bank of Ryukyus Nago Branch. To get to the main street from there, walk about 50 yards toward the Bay of Nago.
On the map...A=Bus Stop #1, B=Bus Stop #2, C=Bus Stop #3 & North Observatory, E=South Observatory, E=Bus Stop #4
If you are reading this on your mobile, click the map
below to view the route map.
