Joetsu City Museum of History, “The Beginning of the Cherry Blossom Viewing Festival and its History” (Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture)

2025.3.31

Joetsu City上越市立歴史博物館Cherry blossom festival

In conjunction with the Takada Joshi Park Cherry Blossom Viewing Festival, a major spring event in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, an exhibition of posters and illustrations from the time when the cherry blossom viewing party began has opened at the Joetsu City Museum of History.

The exhibition was held to let visitors know the atmosphere and enthusiasm of the people 100 years ago, when the first cherry blossom viewing Festival was held. On display at the venue are 59 items, including past posters, newspaper articles and postcards from that time.

This is one of the main attractions, a poster for the 10th Cherry Blossom Viewing Party illustrated in 1935. The woman in the kimono is in the early Showa period, but the bonbori in the background and the rowboat on the moat are still the same scene today.

 

This is a drawing of Takata in 1926, the year the first Cherry Blossom Viewing Party was held.

It is clear that cherry trees lined Teramachi-dori as well as the Takada castle ruins. In addition, Takada Station was a stopover, Chimeido Hospital was located in front of the station, as well as Izumoya Drapery Shop, and Issanku Bank, commonly known as Issanku Bank, was located in Honmachi 3-chome.

 

Yoko Ogawa, curator of the Museum of History, said, “We can see where many cherry trees were in bloom at that time and what kind of buildings were standing. We can learn about the town and its history,” she said.

 

Postcards from the early to mid-Showa period and photographs taken by individuals are also on display at the exhibition.

 

The photo shows the no-longer existing Kosei-Nan Kaikan (South Hall of Health and Welfare) and the Gyokunin (Fish Basket Kannon), which still stands in the same place today.

 

Yoko Ogawa
After seeing the exhibition, I would like visitors to walk around the cherry blossom viewing site and compare and contrast what has changed and what has remained the same.

The Museum of History has held exhibitions related to the Cherry Blossom Viewing Party in the past, but this time, in commemoration of the 100th event, we decided to focus on the Cherry Blossom Viewing Party.

The exhibition “The Beginning of the Cherry Blossom Viewing Party and Its Period” will be held at the Joetsu City Museum of History in Takada Joshi Park until June 15 this year.

The museum is open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during the cherry blossom viewing period. After the cherry blossom viewing event, the museum is open until 5:00 p.m.

The rooftop of the Museum of History is a famous hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spot. It is free to use during the museum’s opening hours. During the exhibition period, public transportation is encouraged due to restrictions on general vehicular traffic.