Hanami 3 - Togokusan Fruit Park

Warning: too many pictures in this post!  Warning 2: the pictures are too pretty!  Not that I didn't warn you...

It was a really nice day today - about 22C.  Due to a recommendation, I went to the Togokusan Fruit Park to view some sakura.  First of all, a map to show where exactly that is.  Basically, the map shows the NE part of Nagoya and neighbouring towns.  In the bottom left is basically Sakae, I live slightly to the right of Chikusa train station and the park is the top green area in the large green area in the top right (under the train station Kozoji).

So I took the JR (Japan Railways) train from Chikusa to Kozoji.  This was my first time taking a normal local train by myself (not counting the trains to the airport where I basically always had somebody tell me where to go) so it was very exciting.  I was a bit worried about not understanding where to go but it couldn't be simpler.  Basically, just like in the subway system, you find on a huge network map where you want to go (Kozoji for me in this case) and it shows you how much it costs for the local train (320yen for me).  Then you buy a ticket for that much in the machine.  Then you get into the station using the ticket and find where the trains are.  In Chikusa, it was quite simple since there was basically either towards Nagoya station or the other way.  So I waited until the next local train going away from town came and took it.  The trains are quite large (much wider than the subway) and you get to see a lot of things outside via the windows (and sometimes the trains go above the streets so you can see a lot).  And 6 stops later, I arrived in Kozoji.  Quite a large train station - bigger than Chikusa - situated in the city of Kasugai (just north-east of Nagoya).  Looking back at the station from the street:

 The town looks... hmm... just like Nagoya

 But there are some (small) mountains!

 Here is a river:

 Bridge over the river:

 The river is actually, the same river that I photographed a few times on my bike trips and it basically is the boundary of the city of Nagoya:

 So, going over the bridge, was a sign denoting that I am once again entering Nagoya City (nagoyashi - 名古屋市)!

 At the start I was using my iphone to find out where to go (no need really since it was basically following the main street in front of the station) but after a while I just followed the stream of people going in both directions.

 Already starting to see some sakura in the distance:

 Nice contrast:

 Entering the fruit farming areas:

 This was a very pretty tree (probably some plum):

 Closeup:

 Following the road to the park:

 Sakura on the side of the road:

 That is the park in front - just walking to get to the main entrance:

 A parking lot, sakura tree, and the mountain:

 Nice house:

 Looking back to the road:

 And continuing forward:

 Finally, reached the destination - the Togokusan Fruit Park.

 The main walkway:

 What can I say.... gorgeous!

 Tons of people were about to do their hanami.

 But first things first, I was starving so got these takoyaki.  You can see the squid parts on the left - the person i making them.  On the right are almost done ones:

 They were very hot... almost burned myself.  Pretty tasty although very chewy octopus:

 I sat down on a rock and ate those - there was a rose bush over my head:

 Hybrid colours:

 Roses and sakura:

 Some of these trees were pretty tall:

 This is basically where I was sitting right next to the pond with some nice reddish koi:

 The pink contrasted nicely with the greenery:

 Sakura blossoms:

 In the middle island on in the pond was a very nice magnolia tree.  In the background, you can see one of the greenhouses:

 Very nice colours:

 Looking back onto the pond:

 More large sakura trees:

 Here are real fruit trees - they have nets I guess to protect the fruit from birds:

 Well... I didn't catch momo yesterday, but I found momo today!

 Btw... momo (もも/モモ) is peach:

 So these small trees with large flowers are peach trees:

 Large flowers:

 So fluffy:

 A little tulip garden:

 A view of the mountain from a hill in the park:

 Y shaped trees:

 Very short trees:

 The greenhouse and some sakura trees around it:

 More momo:

 These are grapes:

 And some very brightly coloured blossoms in the back:

 Another alley, more sakura:

 Kiwi trees:

 Most of the sakura in the park were the drooping ones:

 Flower closeup:

 Another kind:

 Mountain through sakura:

 More trees:

 Closeup:

 Then went into another alley:

 Which was full of roses and sakura:

 Which one is prettier?

 Large flowers:

 The sakura overhead:

 A lighter shade:

 Rose closeup:

 Nice red roses:

 White/hybrid roses:

 Closeup:

 Very strange looking short trees:

 Very large sakura trees:

 mikan!  Japanese orange:

 Green around you and pink above you:

 Surrounded by vivid colours:

 Beautiful pathways:

 Looks like snow:

 Constrast of a white sakura and pink sakura:

 Back to the main pathway:

 I noticed there was a lake below with a fountain:

 Bunches of sakura:

 Lots of people:

 Canopy of pink:

 Closeup:

 A balloon cat that kids could play inside of:

 Entrance to the greenhouses - I didn't go in:

 Sakura mountains:

 Other flowers planted on the ground:

 Little play area:

 View back onto the park:

 Very drooping:

 More sakura:

 So many people walking around and taking pictures:

 White sakura by the lake:

 Walking towards the lake:

 Closeup:

 Bridge to the lake - the white sakura in the back:

 That really looks like snow:

 So fluffy:

 Fishing!

 White sakura closeup:

 So basically, at this place you can rent fishing rods and fish - so many people were doing it (mostly with kids):

 The fountain turned on from time to time:

 I sat here for a while looking at people fish:

 Not sure if you can see but in the middle of the picture is a fishing rod that was swimming around the whole lake - I guess some big fish hooked on and some kid let go :P - hilarious.

 Now, I was slowly trying to make my way out of the park:

 By the store that I bought some oranges and papaya from, there were these tiny trees:

 Most of the petals were white - but some were pink:

 Very interesting:

 A rose flower fell to the drainage canal:

 Another small tree:

 Closeup:

Now, I left the park - here is a house with a large sakura tree and mountain:

 White flowering bushes:

 Pretty single sakura tree on the parking lot:

 Getting back the same way I came - and basically following people:

 Some tree with white flowers (not sure if sakura) but already starting to have leaves:

 Magnolia:

 Bamboo growing on the side of the road:

 I found this image hilarious:

 And I can already see the train station in the background:

 On the first level of the station, I bought some bread at the bakery:

 I bought a ticket and found my local train - this wagon had more seats (basically 2 people on each side with an isle) so I could sit comfortably and take pics out the window:

 Going through the town:

 Some sakura around a canal:

 And I made it home after.  To celebrate, in the evening, I went to this restaurant that I basically see through my balcony right in front of my building, 3 streets away (it says tonkatsu とんかつ at the top):

 Picture of the front with some priced out menu options:

It is a katsu place.  From the outside, you couldn't tell if there is anybody inside (pretty much the standard Japanese restaurant look).  So I went in, and the place was pretty decent size and the bar was almost full - I took the last seat (out of about 6).  You could tell it was a tonkatsu place by the decor (pigs!):

So I ordered a miso tonkatsu and I gotta say, it was the tastiest thing I ate in a while!  We delicious!  I will definitely be back - considering that it is so close and is nice!