Last updated: April 12, 2024 at 12:32 AM
After a long time, I went to Shonandaira, a famous place where you can enjoy the spectacular view of Shonan and cherry blossoms.
Shonan-daira (Komayama Park) is a scenic park on a hill that straddles Hiratsuka City and Oiso Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, and is located on a hill approximately 180 meters above sea level. This place has received many designations as a beautiful place, and has been selected as one of Kanagawa's top 50 scenic spots, Kanagawa's top 100 flower spots, and one of Kanagawa's top 100 night views.
From the Shonandaira Observation Deck, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the Sagami Bay coastline, the Tanzawa Mountain Range, Mt. Fuji, Hakone, and the Izu Mountains, and it is known as a scenic spot. At night, it is lit up and you can enjoy a fantastic atmosphere.
Especially in the spring, about 2,000 cherry trees bloom, and you can enjoy the cherry blossoms at night, attracting visitors.
The best time to see cherry blossoms is from early to mid-April every year, and wild cherry blossoms will greet you on the hiking course that leads to Shonan-daira.
The main types of cherry blossoms in Shonandaira include Someiyoshino and Oshimazakura, and around 260 cherry trees bloom beautifully in the surrounding area. The approximately 160 cherry trees planted in the cherry blossom plaza on the west side of Harappa in Shonandaira are especially impressive.
There are two large observation decks at Shonandaira.
[Rest House Observation Deck]
There is a restaurant and rest space, and you can enjoy the spectacular view of Shonan along Sagami Bay. You can also see the night view of Tokyo and Yokohama, as well as the night view of Uchibo, Chiba Prefecture. The observation deck also has binoculars that can be used for free.
【Radio Tower Observation Deck】
You can enjoy the night view of Hiratsuka city from the observation deck where you can enjoy the night view 24 hours a day. It is also recommended for people with small children as there is a wire mesh all over the place. There are few people, so you can enjoy the night view in a relaxed manner.
In addition, Shonandaira is full of beautiful cherry blossoms in spring, and you can enjoy the cherry blossoms at night. Shonandaira, where approximately 2,000 cherry blossom trees bloom, has been selected as one of Kanagawa's top 100 flower viewing spots. The best time to see them is from early to mid-April every year, and wild cherry blossoms will greet you on the hiking course that takes you to Shonan-daira.
Access
You can access it by train, bus, or by hiking course (Mt. Koma Nature Trail Course) from Oiso Station. The cherry blossoms in Shonandaira are usually at their best from late March to early April, and you can enjoy the cherry blossoms at night under the outdoor lights 🌸🌸🌸
Location: Manda, Hiratsuka City
Types: Someiyoshino, Oshimazakura, Yamazakura, etc.
Number of trains: Approximately 2,000 in the surrounding area (approximately 200 near the summit)
Best time to see: Late March to early April
Transportation: JR Tokaido Hiratsuka Station, take bus line 3 bound for “Shonan-daira” (35 line) and get off at the last stop, about 25 minutes
*By the way, it is a 40 minute walk from JR Oiso Station (Mt. Koma Nature Trail Course)
Head to Shonandaira
On Saturday, April 6th, I took bus line 3 from JR Tokaido Hiratsuka Station bound for Shonan-daira (Taira 35) at 4:02 p.m. (Kanagawa Chuo Kotsu) and headed to Shonan-daira.
Cherry blossom viewing alone at Shonan-daira
The gallery below will introduce you to each cherry blossom viewing spot in Shonan-daira.
A tunnel lined with stunning cherry blossom trees
During the cherry blossom season, there is a tunnel-like line of cherry blossom trees that stretches from the entrance to the parking lot at the top, which is truly spectacular.
A long time ago, when I visited Shonan-daira on a bicycle, I passed along this slope, and it was truly amazing to see so many beautiful blooms.
Rest house observation deck
This is the exterior of the Rest House Observation Deck at the top of Shonandaira.
Panorama from the rest house observation deck
From the Resthast Observation Deck, you can enjoy a 360° panoramic view of Shonan, including the radio tower. Unfortunately, it was cloudy that day, so I couldn't see Mt. Fuji.
terrace on the sea
After viewing the cherry blossoms, we had dinner at the restaurant "Umiue Terrace" on the second floor of the Rest House Observation Deck.
For dinner, I ordered a pork steak plate and a glass of beer. From the windows on the terrace above the sea, you can see Oiso fishing port in the distance.
Official name: Shonandaira View Restaurant Sea View Terrace
Opening hours: Rest House 9:30-21:30 (TV Tower Observation Deck is always open)
Sakura Square Gallery
The cherry blossom plaza on the west side of Harappa in Shonan-daira is the best cherry blossom viewing spot. We enjoyed the cherry blossoms in full bloom here!
Radio Tower Observation Deck
A 360° panorama seen from the radio tower observation deck. You can see a spectacular view of Shonan from here!
The gallery below shows the view from the middle floor of the radio tower. You can see a faraway view from the top floor, but it's guarded by wire mesh on all sides, so it might not be very photogenic.
Although the Shonandaira radio tower is a tourist spot in Hiratsuka and Oiso, its original purpose is a television relay station, and it is the largest co-built television broadcasting relay station in Kanagawa Prefecture. This radio tower was completed in 1972 and is jointly operated by NHK and a commercial broadcasting station.
The main objectives are:
Relay of TV broadcasts: Radio waves are transmitted from Shonan-daira in order to watch TV broadcasts within Kanagawa Prefecture.
Antenna Power: Antenna Power is the largest relay station in Kanagawa Prefecture, delivering television signals to a wide area.
Observation Deck: From the observation deck of the TV Tower, you can see beautiful views of Mt. Fuji and Sagami Bay.
This radio tower is an important presence for TV viewers in Kanagawa Prefecture, supporting local broadcasting.
Return trip from Mt. Koma Nature Trail Course
There are no return buses in the evening. You can return to the crossroads by taxi, but I took the hiking course (Mt. Koma Nature Trail Course) on foot to JR Oiso Station and took the train back to my home in Hiratsuka.
The Mt. Koma Nature Trail course was not a well-maintained road, with some steep mountain passes, and the footing was muddy, making it difficult to walk, but we managed to get to Oiso Station in about 35 minutes. When I arrived at Oiso, I was drenched in sweat 💦
There are some unmarked bifurcated roads along the mountain path, but in that case, you can choose the road that seems to be the main road, or if you're not sure, just take the road to the right and you'll be in the direction of Oiso Station!
Additionally, this mountain path was dark, deserted, creepy, and a bit scary, so I think it would be best for women to avoid walking alone.
Hiking course map
For the hiking course, I chose the course of Yokokuji Yato Yokotsugun. The route is indicated by the blue dots on the map below.
Actually, I found out later that this course is a minor route, and the "Takada Park Course" is currently a major route. However, the Yokokudera Yato Yokoanagun course seems to be a little closer (about 300m) to Oiso Station.
The Yokoku-dera Yato Yokoana Group is an ancient tomb dating from around the 7th century, and has been designated as an important cultural property by the prefecture. In short, it's a cemetery 💦
Hiking trail gallery
When we arrived at Oiso Station, it was already dusk, but the cherry blossoms surrounding Oiso Station were in full bloom!
