When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, I spend my days staring at the weather forecast. It was mid-April; the season had already passed in Tokyo (where I live), so I looked westward for clearer skies. My search led me to a place I had never visited: Takato.
I secured a spot at the back of a crowded Azusa train for my bicycle and headed to Kofu. After admiring the peach blossoms in Shinpu—a paradise of pink—I continued by local train into Ina Valley. After a quick stop for the local noodle, Lomen, I set off toward Takato Castle.
Riding along the national highway, a long ribbon of cherry blossoms on the riverbank caught my eye. I changed my route on a whim, lured by the petals. Spring had truly arrived in Ina Valley. Under the vast blue sky, I took a long, deep breath.