I’m currently leading my annual cross-country Cherry Blossom photography workshop, and for the next few days, my participants and I will be in Niigata Prefecture—home to Japan’s finest sake and some of its most breathtaking cherry blossoms. Niigata boasts a remarkable number of distilleries, producing sake so smooth and subtly sweet that it’s almost like drinking fragrant water—until you realize you’re on your fifth or sixth cup!

But let’s talk about photography. Takada Castle in Joetsu ranks among Japan’s Top 10 illuminated cherry blossom spots, with over 4,000 sakura trees of various varieties: Somei Yoshino (Prunus yedoensis), the most widely cultivated; Yamazakura (Prunus jamasakura), a wild species with more than five petals; and Shidarezakura (Prunus pendula), the elegant weeping variety. No matter the angle, this location offers unforgettable, gallery-worthy shots.

One of Niigata’s greatest assets is its ancient cherry blossom trees, preserved through a natural ecosystem that thrives without pesticides. Unlike the Tokyo-Kanto region, where insecticides control caterpillars (kemushi) that can cause skin irritation, Niigata maintains a balanced environment. Sparrows and other bird species—such as the Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus), Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus), and Brown-eared Bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis)—naturally keep insect populations in check. This thriving biodiversity allows Niigata’s cherry blossoms to flourish organically, untouched by chemical interference.

Visiting and photographing these healthy, ancient trees is a privilege, and younger trees here have the chance to become future legends.