2025 Saku Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in June)

#cherryblossom25 Goryokaku Park is a former star-shaped military fort turned public space, and in spring, it transforms into one of Hokkaido’s most spectacular cherry blossom destinations. Over 1,500 cherry trees line the moat and fill the park’s geometric grounds. The best view is from Goryokaku Tower, where visitors can see the fortress framed perfectly in pink. With its historical roots and distinctive design, Goryokaku offers a cherry blossom experience unlike any other in Japan.

#cherryblossom25 Hakodate’s most famous cherry blossom spot is Goryokaku Park, a former star-shaped fortress from the Edo period, now transformed into a public park with around 1,600 Somei Yoshino cherry trees. Walking among the cherry blossoms surrounded by stone walls and moats offers a unique mix of historical depth and springtime beauty. That's why Goryokaku Park is a blend of history and nature to view cherry blossoms.

#cherryblossom25 I had the most fortunate timing during my cherry blossom chase in Hokkaido! The morning was filled with steady rain, and the sky stayed overcast until midday. But just as I was starting to think the weather might not cooperate, the clouds parted, and the sun broke through in the afternoon. 🌞 It was a brief but beautiful moment—perfect for experiencing Hokkaido’s iconic cherry blossoms! While the surrounding streets of Goryokaku Park were already bursting with color, the park itself was still in the early stages of full bloom. The Goryokaku cherry trees hadn’t yet reached their peak, but the sight was still enchanting. There were enough blossoms to create a magical atmosphere, and the contrast of the sun’s rays filtering through the pink petals made the entire scene feel like a living postcard. 🌸 If you're planning to visit in the coming days, you're in luck—the best of Hokkaido's cherry blossoms is just about to unfold. The buds are there, the weather is improving, and in the next couple of days, the park will likely be at its most breathtaking! For now, I’m just glad to have caught the tail end of this cherry blossom season in Hakodate, and I can’t wait to see how it all progresses. It was truly a fleeting, yet magical experience! #travel

[Teppan Steak Dining Mimi] in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture This restaurant requires reservations all day long, and you can enjoy delicious teppanyaki grilled right in front of you🥩 The course menu is delicious, from the appetizers to the main meat, which is soft and melts in your mouth🤤 Please go and try it✨ #0 yen travel 📍Address: 103, Nagason 2nd Building, 15-3 Sakudaira Station South, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0029 🏖️Atmosphere/Facilities: Good 💰Price per person: From 5,000 yen 🅿️: Free parking available

[Taiwanese cuisine, Fukukoro] in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture There are many set menus, and you can enjoy a full meal of Taiwanese cuisine for 1000 yen💯 The fried chicken is crispy and juicy, and the garlic fried rice has a strong garlic flavor and is delicious🧄 Please go and try it✨ #0 yen travel 📍Address: 3125-1 Nakagome, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0051 🕰️Business hours: 11:00-14:30 17:00-23:00 💰Price per person: Approximately 1000 yen 🅿️: Free parking available

#springwander Hakodate Park's spring transformation is breathtaking! Cherry blossoms dance in soft pink hues, while vibrant flowers burst with color. Historic landmarks and serene ponds add to the charm. Strolling through the park, I felt spring's warmth and beauty. A perfect blend of nature and culture! Unforgettable spring moments in Hakodate! #HakodatePark #SpringVibes # #HakodateSpring

●An event taking place in May in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture! ●Balloon Festival

It's about an hour's drive from Karuizawa 🚗 It's not exactly in a convenient location, but those in the know know about it? It seems to be a popular cafe among locals! I was told about it by a local person and went there during a trip to Karuizawa. There was firewood piled up at the entrance, so I had high expectations 🪵 When I went inside, yay! A wood stove It's the best part of winter, isn't it ✨ I ordered a cake and scone set and hot 🍎 juice I was able to change the coffee in the set to dark roast! The inside of the shop is larger than it looks from the outside, like a renovated old house, and the chairs and tables are all different! There is a terrace outside. I arrived around 10am, and before I knew it, more people were coming 👀 It might be full in the afternoon? That's how it feels. The homemade scones with jam went perfectly with the coffee! In the summer, I want to drink coffee on the terrace with my dog ​​🐶 🏠: YUSHI CAFE 💰: Tenpoudo Coffee 450 yen ~ 📍: 2379 Kyowa, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture #Japan's seasonal places #Old folk house cafe #Cafe #Cafe tour

About 30 minutes by car from Karuizawa 🚗 I went to visit Hanagao Inari Shrine, one of the top 5 Inari shrines in Japan! It is said that this shrine was built to enshrine a branch of the deity from the famous Kyoto Fushimi Inari Shrine, and there were many red torii gates ⛩️ It was New Year's Day, so most people were there for the first visit of the year, but some people were also praying for protection from evil. Fried tofu was offered at the Inari shrine 🥹 It seems that a festival called "Hatsuuma Festival" is held every year on February 11th, and many people come to buy daruma dolls! It is one of the shrines I would like to visit again if I go on a trip to Karuizawa 🫶 ⛩️: Hanagao Inari Shrine 📍: 4261 Hanagao, Iwamurata, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture #Seasonal places in Japan #Shrine #Shrine tour

Heading to Karuizawa in winter! A tour of the Karuizawa Beer factory that can be enjoyed even when it's cold or snowing🍻 It's about a 2-30 minute drive from Karuizawa🚗 The tour itself takes just under 30 minutes, with 30 minutes for tasting. You can choose from three types of beer servers while looking at Mt. Asama! This time there were three types: yuzu, white, and red. It seems that white beer is only available in winter, so some people visit every season👀 And above all, you can only drink draft beer here! The canned beer they sell is heat-treated, so it's not draft🤫 Isn't 500 yen too cheap for that draft beer and a souvenir canned beer? I'd love to drink draft beer on the terrace while looking at Mt. Asama in the summer! I'm daydreaming about it 🤤 🏠: Karuizawa Brewery Factory (THE Karuizawa Beer) 💰: Factory tour 500 yen 📍: Nagatoro 64-3, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture #seasonal places in Japan #Karuizawa #beer factory #factory tour #draft beer

Wild Bird Hill Park in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture There is free parking, and you can see a spectacular view of the reservoir right in front of you👀 You can walk from the parking lot to a place where you can see the reservoir, and if you look from a bench, you can see the beautiful water surface of the reservoir and the birds perched on it🦜 It is highly recommended when you want to spend a very quiet and peaceful time in the area✨️ #0 yen trip January 2025 📍Address: 1110 Nakagomi, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0051 🕰️Business hours: 24 hours 🅿️: Free parking available

[Keyaki Park] in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture There are supermarkets and restaurants in the surrounding area, and this park, located in the center of the area, is a beautifully maintained park that is often used as a place to take a break between walks and shopping. 👌🏻 It's very sunny, so we recommend taking a break on the benches on a nice day. ✨️ Please be sure to visit if you're in the area. ✨️ #0 yen travel January 2025 📍Address: 23-1 Sakudaira Station South, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0029 🕰️Opening hours: 24 hours 💰Price per person: Free

[Housin] in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture It's located right after getting off at Saku Interchange, so it's very accessible👌🏻 The popular set menu has a wide variety of options, and you can eat your fill for a cheap price🤤 The Taiwanese ramen is addictive with just the right amount of spiciness👍🏻 Please give it a try✨ #0yentravelJanuary2025 📍Address: 1-24-1 Iwamuratakita, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0023 🕰️Business hours: 11:00-14:30 17:00-23:00 💰Price per person: Approximately 1,000 yen 🅿️: Free parking available

Izumiya Confectionery in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture Japanese sweets made with ingredients from Shinshu and Western sweets such as puddings are lined up 🍮 They also sell cakes in the showcase, so there is a wide variety of sweets available 👌🏻 The walnut-filled pie "Sakuko" seems to be a popular souvenir 🙆♀️ There are many souvenirs that can only be purchased here, so please be sure to visit ✨ #FritabiWinter 📍Address: 3020-1 Otsuka, Nakagome, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0051 🕰️Business hours: 9:30-20:00

SK Flower Planning Saku Branch in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture You can choose flowers from the display case and have them make a bouquet for you, or leave it to the staff👌🏻 This time I asked for a bouquet for a happy wedding, and the staff was very kind and included a message card☺️ They have a wide variety of flowers, so you're sure to be able to make a wonderful bouquet💐 Please go and check it out✨ #FuriTabiWinter 📍Address: 746-8 Yokone, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0001

Saku City, Nagano Prefecture. Hirao Onsen Miharashi no Yu is located at the Sakudaira PA on the Joshinetsu Expressway. The view from the open-air bath is spectacular. From the open-air observation bath, you can see the Northern Alps, Kirigamine Plateau, Mt. Tateshina, Yatsugatake, and even the Chichibu Mountains. In addition to the open-air bath, you can enjoy a variety of things such as a tub bath, a carbonated bath, a replacement bath, and a sauna. There is also a tatami room where you can lie down and rest, making it perfect for resting your body after a long drive. You can also eat and buy souvenirs. I went there around 4:30pm on a weekday, and it was empty, so I was able to relax in the hot spring and enjoy the spectacular view. I was really grateful to have a hot spring at the PA. The price was 💰 per person: ¥800, and was paid at the automatic payment machine. This is a hot spring with a spectacular view, so please stop by. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 📍: Hirao Onsen Miharashi no Yu♨️ 2682 Shimohirao, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture ☎️0267-68-0261 🚗Inside Sakudaira PA on the Joshinetsu Expressway Opening hours 11:00-21:00 Open all year round #Nagano#Saku #Great view #Winter trip #Hot spring

Roadside Station Hot Park Asashina in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture There is a free parking lot behind the building, and if you walk towards the building from the parking lot, you can see this amazing view☺️ On sunny days, there is nothing blocking your view, so you can enjoy the view🙆♀️ There are hammocks in the grassy area outside, so you can relax and sway👌🏻 They also sell souvenirs such as rice and agricultural products inside the store, so please check it out✨ #0 yen trip November 📍Address: 2177-1 Ko, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, 384-2104 🕰️Business hours: 9:00-18:00

Roadside Station Healthy Terrace Sakuminami in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture This is a popular roadside station where locals and people from outside the prefecture line up before it even opens. They sell a lot of fresh, locally grown vegetables, fruits, flowers, souvenirs, and more👀 There is also a place inside the store where you can enjoy a meal, so it's very well stocked👌🏻 The vegetables are very large and impressive, but they are cheap! Please go and check it out✨ #0 yen trip November 📍Address: 7-1 Banno, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0061 🕰️Business hours: 9:00-18:00

Saku Ichimanri Onsen Hotel in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture This hotel has a spacious natural hot spring👀♨️ This hot spring is said to be good for your skin, and it also has a sauna and unusual baths such as a cave bath, so it's very popular with children✨ It costs 700 yen per adult, so please go and check it out✨ 📍Address: 3150-1 Nakagome, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0051 🕰️Business hours: 13:00-23:00 (last admission 22:00) *Please note that bathing times vary depending on the day 💰Price per person: 700 yen #0 yen trip November

Sakudaira Plaza 21, located near Sakudaira Station, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture This facility includes a health spa, so even non-guests can enjoy the hot springs on a day trip♨️ There are two types of saunas in the baths, a low-temperature sauna and a high-temperature sauna, which is irresistible for hot spring lovers🤤 There is also a TV in the sauna👌🏻 It seems that if you become a member, you can enter for 800 yen every time, and on the 21st of every month it is 500 yen👀 Please go and check it out✨️ #0yentravelNovember 📍Address: 1F Saku Plaza 21, 2-6 Sakudaira Station East, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0028 🕰️Business hours: 6:00-1:00 💰Price per person: From 800 yen

[Anywhere Door Object] in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture Anywhere Door in Saku City!? I went there thinking that, and there was a door standing there alone in a place with a great view👀🚪 It's free to enter, so anyone can go🙆♀️ There are several benches nearby, and it's definitely nice to have a picnic in such a great view☺️ Please be sure to go on a nice day✨️ #0 Yen Travel Autumn 📍Address: 2681 Shimohirao, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0003 💰Price per person: Free

[Saku City Insect Experience Learning Center] in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture This is a wallet-friendly insect museum that can be enjoyed for 200 yen per adult and 100 yen per child👌🏻 There are also hands-on classes such as keychain making and bamboo dragonfly making, so children can have a lot of fun🙆♀️ I went on a weekday, but there were hardly any people there, so I was able to take my time looking around😉 Please go and check it out✨️ #0 yen travel autumn 📍Address: 2681 Shimohirao, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0003 🕰️Business hours: 9:30-17:00 💰Price per person: 200 yen for adults, 100 yen for children

Hirao Onsen Miharashi no Yu in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture This is a hot spring facility that you can get to by taking a giant escalator from Sakudaira PA♨️ And as the name suggests, it's located a little up the mountain, so the view is amazing👀 The bath has a sauna and an open-air bath with a great view, which you can enter for 800 yen☺️ Please go and check it out✨️ #0yentravelautumn 📍Address: 2682 Shimohirao, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0003 🕰️Business hours: 11:00-21:00 (Tues, Weds, Thurs, Fri) 10:00-22:00 (Sat, Sun, Mon) 💰Price per person: 800 yen

[Saku City Inariyama Park] in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture There is a free parking lot and toilets here 🚻🅿️ And above all, the playground equipment with an appearance that tickles the child's heart! The playground equipment, which is shaped like a spaceship and looks like an attraction, tickles the heart of not only children but also adults 😉 The park is spacious and has multiple benches, so it's perfect for a picnic 👌🏻 Please go and check it out ✨️ #0 yen travel autumn 📍Address: Usudajoyama, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 384-0302 🕰️Opening hours: 24 hours 💰Price per person: Free

Chatamaya in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture This is a shop that sells cream puffs, puddings, sweets, and more, mainly eggs🥚 It seems that many people from outside the prefecture come here to buy the eggs, and the cream puffs are also very delicious🤤 The crispy puffs and the custard inside go really well together. There are many types of eggs available, and Chatamaya's eggs are so popular that they are sometimes sold at nearby hot spring facilities😉 Please be sure to go✨️ #0 yen travel autumn 📍Address: 102-1 Kuwayama, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 384-2101 🕰️Business hours: 10:00-18:00 💰Price per person: 1-1000 yen

[La Boulangerie Lien] in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture I heard that this is a delicious bakery recommended by locals, so I went there, and the exterior and interior space are just too cute♡ Inside the store, there are rows of freshly baked breads, and there is an eat-in space in the back🙆♀️ I tried the bacon epi🥓 and chocolate cornet🍫, and they were absolutely delicious,, Please go and try them✨️ #0 Yen Travel Autumn 📍Address: 137-8 Hara, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0052 🕰️Business hours: 9:00-18:30 💰Price per person: 1-1000 yen

Inariyama Park Cosmo Tower in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture There is a large free parking lot, and the observation deck is open from 8:00am🙆♀️ If you climb the stairs inside the giant rocket, you will find an observation deck with a wonderful view👀 If the weather is good, you can see the distant mountains👀✨ It was my first time climbing a rocket-shaped observation deck, so I was excited😂 Please go and check it out✨️ #0 yen travel autumn 📍Address: 108-1 Katsuma, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 384-0302 🕰️Business hours: 8:00-18:00

Inari Shrine in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture This shrine is located along the road and has free parking, so you can rest assured🅿️🙆♀️ The red torii gates stand out and are lined up with stairs👀 It is said to be a shrine dedicated to the fox god. If you climb to the top of the stairs, you can see Mt. Asama and the Chikuma River, so please try to climb to the top👌🏻 Please go✨️ #0 yen travel autumn 📍Address: Usuda, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 384-0301 🕰️Opening hours: 24 hours 💰Price per person: Free