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| EMU JR East E353 Series arrives at Nirasaki station on the Chuo line |
The weather forecast everyday informs us where the "front line" of the sakura (cherry blossoms) is. Although the sakura blooming season has passed in Tokyo, the front line is still traveling up the northern part of Japan. A person traveling to the north with the "sakura front" would be able to enjoy the blossoms for nearly three months. The sakura front travels not only to the north, but also climbs up the mountains.
Look at the following picture. Sakura is in the stage of full bloom in the mountainous Nirasaki province of Yamanshi Prefecture, about 150 kilometers west of Tokyo. Wani-zuka (Wani mound) is one of the famous sakura viewing spots there. My favorite tree is an Edo-hikan-sakura, which is over 330 years old. I enjoyed a glamorous looks tree, which ruled visitors' hearts, there. I also found many visitors enjoying this sakura standing in a circle around the tree.
To visit this gorgeous spot, the nearest railway station is Nirasaki on the JR East Chuo line. I used a limited express train, Azusa, the EMU E353 series, from Shinjuku terminal. The E353 series was launched in 2017 to replace the old limited express train, the E351 series. It has a special air suspension type tilting system to pass through tight curves in the mountain areas keeping at high speed. The maximum operating speed of the E353 series is 130 kilometers per hour.
I enjoyed the old sakura tree and the state-of-the-art limited express train on the weekend.
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| Cherry of Wani-zuka |