The 7th Shibusawa Sakura Festival began on February 14th at Shibuya River Street, a promenade along the Shibuya River.

Early-blooming Kawazu cherry trees are planted along the promenade, and in commemoration of this, an early "Sakura Festival" was started in 2019. The event was planned mainly by students from Kokugakuin University's Tahara seminar, and the "Kotatsu Project" devised by the students has become a popular item.

Until last year, there were 10 "kotatsu" tables set up on the promenade, but because there were many people wanting to use them and waiting times occurred, this year the number has been increased to 13. In order to further promote smooth use, a time reservation system has been newly introduced.

In addition to the promenade, three new tables have also been installed on the Stream Deck, which connects SHIBUYA SCRAMBLE SQUARE and SHIBUYA STREAM, further reinforcing the image of "Shibuya Sakura Festival = kotatsu."

Use of the kotatsu is free and runs from 3pm to 7pm (until 6pm on the final day). You are free to bring in food, drinks and alcohol, and from the 15th onwards a gourmet tent will be set up. Miyazaki gourmet food and wine will be on sale, and you can enjoy a kotatsu lunch under the blue sky during the day, and from the evening onwards you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing with sake. However, there is no collection of rubbish within the venue, so you will need to take it home with you.

During the period, the "Shibusan Children's Festival" will be held, sponsored by students, and children of elementary school age or younger can participate for free. In addition to enjoying festival activities such as "Umaibo Fishing," "Ring Toss," and "Children's Shooting Gallery," there will also be a photo contest with the theme of "Kawazu Cherry Blossoms." In addition, photo sessions with "Hello Kitty" and "Turfy" will be held at 1:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. on February 15th and 16th, making it an event that can be enjoyed by a wide range of age groups.

This is a season with drastic temperature changes, so be sure to take precautions against the cold when you go out.

On February 5th, on the radio show "Shibuya Radio," Kuniyoshi Wada, chairman of the 3rd Street Planning Council, which plans and manages the "Shibuya Sakura Festival," Yuko Tahara, professor at the Faculty of Economics of Kokugakuin University, and Ayaka Takatori, a third-year student in the Faculty of Economics, appeared live to promote this year's event. For more details on the broadcast, please listen below.

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