Hatsukaichi: Kendama, Woodworking and Cherry Blossoms

Hatsukaichi offers several points of interest for a trip: traditional woodworking, kendama and a cherry blossom attraction. These topics reflect different interests and times of year. Woodworking offers a cultural perspective, kendama connects an annual event with commercial offerings, and cherry blossoms provide a seasonal focus at Sumiyoshi Teibo. As you plan your trip, you can first decide which of these will be your main focus.

Woodworking as a cultural connection

In Hatsukaichi, making furniture from assembled wood laid the technical foundations for traditional crafts such as Miyajima woodwork. This connection brings together a specific form of furniture-making and a broader craft tradition. Miyajima woodwork is one example. If you are interested in culture, this offers a point of connection that goes beyond a single finished piece of furniture: the focus is also on the technical foundations that link traditional crafts. This makes it possible to explore Hatsukaichi through the development of its craftsmanship, rather than focusing only on a particular product or type of goods.

Kendama: event and commercial offerings

The Kendama World Cup takes place in Hatsukaichi every year and attracts players from Japan and abroad. If this event is the reason for your trip, check the date for the relevant year before booking. The Cup is an annual event, while Kendama Street offers another way to explore the theme. There, you will find kendama-inspired dishes and goods, recommended places to eat, a kendama specialty store and lifestyle shops. These represent two distinct interests: the Cup focuses on the event and its participants, while the street offers food, goods and shops related to kendama. This distinction can help you decide what to focus on during your trip without treating the two offerings as the same.

Cherry blossoms at Sumiyoshi Teibo

Sumiyoshi Teibo is a cherry blossom attraction in Hatsukaichi. About 240 cherry trees line both sides of a path stretching more than 600 meters. The length of the path and the approximate number of trees describe different aspects: the length gives you a sense of the path’s extent, while the number indicates the scale of the planting. The cherry blossom experience unfolds along the route, offering a different focus from the kendama offerings. This also means a different seasonal consideration for trip planning: the Kendama World Cup takes place every year, while seasonal cherry blossoms are the focus at Sumiyoshi Teibo. If you are choosing between an event and a landscape, you can plan your trip around whichever appeals to you.

Plan your stay around the reason for your trip

For kendama, you can choose between the annual Cup and the offerings on Kendama Street; Sumiyoshi Teibo offers a seasonal focus.

Discover more destinations: Kurogawa, Sera, Fukuyama, Miyoshi, Fuchū, Higashihiroshima, Onomichi, Kure

For the broader travel overview: Hiroshima Prefecture.