YOKOHAMA, Japan – A day before Valentine’s Day, my son and I took a 1.5-hour trip from Kamakura, where we were staying, to Yokohama to visit Mitsuike Koen.

It’s a community park in Tsurumi City that would be the subject of your envy as a Filipino whose cities lack public spaces.

Mitsuike Park is 300,000 square meters big, sitting right in the middle of residential and school areas. It has three large ponds, a baseball field, jogging paths, and benches.

People come here to walk their dogs, jog, take a stroll, or just wait for the sunset. Parents take their toddlers here for some fresh air, and high school students hang out for sports activities. It’s open 24/7, and you can enter for free.

Of course, there are lots and lots of trees, among them some 1,600 cherry trees of 78 species. And they were the reason we checked out the park.

Every year in mid-February, as winter winds down, cherry trees already start blooming here. That’s more than a month earlier than most parts of Japan.

We spotted a few trees. Residents say the kanzakura variety is usually the first to bloom in February. That’s why these cherry blossoms are sometimes called winter sakura.

In spring, Mitsuike Park is considered one of Japan’s top 100 hanami or sakura-viewing spots. Check out photos posted by local tourism sites here and here, and you’ll get an idea why.

I can imagine all these trees soon covered in pink and white blossoms in March and April! And it will be heavenly! – Rappler.com