Hanami at Ikuta Ryokuchi Park - Mt. Masugata Observation Platform

Located in Tama-ku, Ikuta Ryokuchi Park (生田緑地) is the largest green space in Kawasaki City. In addition to being a natural paradise, it is also a notable cultural destination with three museums (Nihon Minka-en or Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum, Taro Okamoto Museum of Art dedicated to the famous Japanese avant-garde artist and the Kawasaki Municipal Science Museum with a planetarium). There is also a Traditional Craft Center where you can attend workshops in aizome, a traditional indigo-colored dyeing technique.

The park is home to a variety of plants, including cherry trees, irises, hydrangeas, camellias, azaleas, plum (ume) trees, and even rice fields, as well as a rose garden. It is also a vital habitat for a number of bird and fireflies.

At the top of the hill known as “Mount Masugata,” which is 84 meters above sea level, there is an observatory platform that provides views of Tokyo and Mount Fuji (weather permitting). In the spring, when the cherry trees bloom, many people (including us) come here for hanami.