The cherry blossoms may have all floated away in the wind by now, but the sights of spring can still be seen all around the city!

Matsumoto is still full of color thanks to the many other kinds of flowering plants (besides cherry trees!). If you’re visiting now or soon, you’ll see gorgeous wisteria vines heavy with their violet flowers, pink and white dogwoods, fragrant lilac bushes, and more as you walk around downtown and if you get a closer look at the mountains, you’ll notice they are spotted with blooming wild cherry trees.

(By the way, there is a “secret spot” where you can see lilacs and a great view of the downtown area with the Japan Alps in the background on the 3rd floor rooftop garden at the Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre!)

Pink dogwoods along Nakamachi Street

White dogwoods along Nawate Street

Lilacs along the Metoba River.

A wisteria vine in full bloom along Nakamachi Street

If you venture into the mountains, you can catch a glimpse of a few wildflowers here and there and perhaps one of the wild cherries that still has its blooms. Here are some photos from the Hayashi Castle Ruins Trail in the Yamabe area.

Woodland wildflowers blooming in golden yellow!

An up-close look (you find these in some spots in the downtown area, too)

A cute bell-shaped wildflower

There were only a few wild cherries still blooming on the trail and this is one of them!

Somebody else is getting ready to bloom!

Have fun spotting the flowers as you explore the city!