We went to the pedestrian-only event “Let’s Meet Under the Cherry Blossoms”, held on Chaya Sakura Street on March 31〜
↑Chaya Sakura Street on the morning of the event
↑The southern end started around here (the intersection where Hazama ENT Clinic is located)
↑And the northern end, up to National Route 2, was closed to vehicle traffic〜
Here’s a map of the area that became pedestrian-only↓
The address is Chayanomachi, Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.
Cherry Blossom Bloom Status
↑The cherry blossoms were… still mostly buds, but a few had started blooming here and there!
↑It was a shame they weren’t in full bloom, but the weather was great and the day felt really nice〜
Mayor’s Greeting & Opening Ceremony “Hikime no Gi”
↑At the start of the event, Mayor Takashima gave a greeting! (He came straight from the “Uchibun” opening event held the same day to give another greeting! And I also went from one coverage spot to the next〜)
(Added 4/3) We also uploaded a video↓
↑Then the “Hikime no Gi,” a ritual to ward off evil spirits, was performed!
(Added 4/3) Here’s the video of the “Hikime no Gi”↓
↑It’s a ritual where a whistling arrow called a kaburaya is shot, so we watched with anticipation… and then the arrow flew off with a satisfying “pooon!” sound〜!!
↑The kaburaya arrow flew through the air and hit the curtain. Looks like the evil spirits were successfully driven away〜
↑After the ritual, the mayor and everyone took a commemorative photo〜
Chaya Sakura Street During the Event
↑Once the opening event ended, the roadway became pedestrian-only, and everyone was leisurely strolling beneath the cherry trees〜
↑Just being able to walk somewhere you normally can’t felt special!
↑You don’t often get to take photos like this, do you〜
↑You could even flash a peace sign and take photos in the middle of the road without getting in trouble!
↑And there were even benches set up on the roadway〜! You could take a relaxed break too!
↑Near “Ashiya Kokoro to Karada no Clinic,” the Chayanomachi Neighborhood Association had set up a cherry blossom viewing tent〜
↑The balloon art and super ball scooping for kids were very popular! Lots of parents and children were lined up〜
↑Temporary trash bins were also set out during the event, showing consideration for the environment〜
Nearby Park Events
↑On the day of the event, related events were also held in parks around Chaya Sakura Street! This was at Omasu Park, with a danjiri music performance by the Nakanomachi Danjiri (formerly Seido Danjiri), plus a potato and drink sales corner.
↑This is the kitchen trailer for “ASHIYA CITY COFFEE”, which had a booth at Miyazuka Park. Apparently, this was their very first time setting up shop〜!
↑Here’s what the menu looked like! Check the official “ASHIYA CITY COFFEE” Instagram account for future pop-up plans!
↑The cherry blossoms at Miyazuka Park still had a way to go, but the pink almond blossoms were in full bloom〜!
Lastly
It was a little disappointing that the cherry blossoms were taking their time to bloom this year, but the organizer, “Ashiya Area Platform (Ashiya AP)”, says they are planning to continue holding this event from next year onward.
They also plan to keep exploring new ways of city-building that make use of public spaces like roads and parks, as well as private facilities, so if you’re interested, it may be worth following their Instagram!
