Spring is a great season in Myoko. The snow quickly starts to melt away and everything comes back to life after a 4-month long sleep. Due to the volume of snow in the Myoko area spring is unique. You can experience both snow and cherry blossoms together. For example, you can see the amazing snowmelt crashing down from Naena waterfall on to the snow-covered rocks below and then drive just 5km across the city to Matsugamine and Izumijomon Park and experience spectacular cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Aside from the cherry blossoms another famous flower in the Myoko area is the skunk cabbage or ‘mizubasho’ as it’s called in Japanese. These beautiful white flowers bloom in wetland areas and appear as the snow starts to recede. At the end of April, the area around Imori pond is filled with 1,000s of these plants and they are beautifully framed by the backdrop of a snow-covered Mt Myoko.
At the end of May, Sasagamine plateau becomes accessible as the snow finally melts from the higher altitude areas. At this point you can make the walk to Yume Midaira, a stunning wetland area deep in the forest that is filled with huge skunk cabbages 2-3times the size of those found at Imori pond.
To mark the start of spring in Myoko a local festival called Sougensai is held each year. This year marked the return of the festival after it was previously cancelled twice during the Corona virus pandemic. The festival sees a large Japanese kanji character burnt on to the face of Mt Myoko. This is accompanied by a stunning firework display.
