Cherry Blossom Park in Amsterdam (Amsterdamse Bos)

Wednesday, 23 March 2022

Not far from the center of Amsterdam is a Japanese-style paradise, Kersenbloemse Park. A small corner of the Amsterdam Bos where you can find hundreds of beautiful cherry blossom trees in early spring. If you are traveling to Amsterdam during this period, I suggest a visit. In fact, between the end of March and the beginning of April, the delicate pink and white flowers bloom every year that fascinate all visitors.

There are 400 cherry trees, of the yoshino type (prunis yedoensi), donated by the non-profit association Japanse Women's Club to celebrate 400 years of diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and Japan. This is a long relationship that began in April 9, 1600 when the Dutch ship "Liefde" reached the island of Oita on the island of Kyushu. Each tree has a nameplate with a typically female name, 200 in Dutch and 200 in Japanese. Below you can find the complete list of names:

Japanese women's names

Ai Aiko Akane Akemi Akiko Aoi Asako Asuka Atsuko Aya Ayaka Ayako Ayumi Azusa Chiaki Chieko Chiemi Chigusa Chikage Chikako Chinatsu Chitose Chiyo Chiyoko Chizu Chizuko Chizuru Eiko Emi Emiko Erika Eriko Erina Etsuko Fuji Fukuko Fumiko Fusako Fuyuko Hamako Hana Hanako Haru Haruko Harumi Hatsue Hatsumi Hideko Hidemi Hideyo Hiroko Hiromi Hisako Hisayo Hitomi Ieko Ikuko Ina Izumi Junko Kanako Kaori Kasumi Katsuko Katsumi Kayo Kayoko Kazuko Kei Keiko Kikue Kikuko Kimie Kimiko Kinuko Kiwako Kiyoka Kiyomi Kumi Kumiko Kuniko Kyoko Machiko Madoka Mai Maki Makiko Manami Mari Marie Mariko Mariyo Masako Masami Masayo Masumi Matsuko Mayuko Mayumi Megumi Michiko Midori Mie Mieko Miho Mikako Mikiko Minako Mineko Minori Mireko Misa Misako Misato Mitsue Mitsuko Miwako Miyako Miyoko Mizue Moeko Momoyo Mutsumi Nagisa Namiko Nana Naoko Naomi Natsuki Natsuko Nobuko Noriko Nozomi Orime Reika Reiko Rie Ritsuko Sachie Sachiko Sachiyo Sadako Sakiko Sakura Sanae Saori Satoe Satoko Satsuki Sayaka Sayoko Sayuri Seiko Setsuko Shigeko Shihoko Shinobu Shizu Shizue Shizuka Shoko Sueko Sugako Sumiko Suwako Suzuko Taeko Takako Tamae Tatsuko Terue Teruko Tokie Tokiko Tokiyo Tomiko Tomoka Tomoko Toshie Toshiko Toshimi Toyoko Tsuruko Tsuyuko Umeko Wakako Yachiyo Yasuko Yoko Yoriko Yoshiko Yukari Yuki Yukie Yukiko Yukino Yuko Yumiko Yumiyo Yuriko

Dutch women's names

Aaltje Ada Ageeth Agnes Alexandra Alie Andrea Angelique Anita Anja Anke Annelies Annemarie Annette Anouk Antoinette Astrid Babette Barbara Beatrix Betty Bianca Carla Catootje Cecile Charlotte Christa Christina Christine Clara Coby Conny Cora Cornelia Corrie Deborah Diana Dina Dineke Diny Dominique Doortje Dora Dorien Eefje Eleonora Elisabeth Eliza Ellen Els Elske Emma Esther Eva Evelien Eveline Famke Fanny Fiona Fleur Francis Francisca Francoise Frederica Freekje Frieda Gea Geertje Gerda Gineke Greet Greta Grietje Harriet Hanna Hannelore Hanny Helena Hetty Hilda Ina Ineke Inge Ingrid Irene Irma Isabelle Jacqueline Janet Janke Janneke Jannie Jenny Johanna Joke Jolanda Jolien Jorien Jorrie Josefien Joyce Judith Juliana Karin Katinka Katja Katrien Koosje Laura Liesbeth Linda Liselore Lisette Liza Lobbetje Loes Lonneke Luutje Maaike Madeleine Maretje Marga Margot Margreet Margriet Maria Marie Marieke Marijke Marion Mariska Marjan Marjolein Marleen Marloes Martine Mary Matilda Mia Mieke Miekje Miep Mies Miranda Mireille Mirjam Monique Natasja Nathalie Nicole Nicolette Nienke Nina Olga Patricia Paula Pauline Petra Petronella Pia Pien Regina Renate Ria Rietje Rita Roos Rosalind Sabine Sabrina Sandra Saskia Sien Sietske Sijtje Sonja Suzan Tamara Tanja Thea Theodora Tina Tineke Trea Trees Trijntje Truus Vanessa Vicky Viola Wanda Wendy Wilhelmina Willeke Willemijn Wilma Winnie Xandra Yvette Yvonne

In 2012, a commemorative plaque was placed in the park in honor of the victims of the tsunami of 11 March 2011, after the Sendai earthquake. Its location is not accidental: Kersenbloemse Park represents an important meeting place for the Japanese community in Amsterdam and its surroundings. In fact, every year the community celebrates Hanami Matsuri (the Cherry Blossom Festival) here. Families and friends gather together for a picnic under the blossoming trees to celebrate spring; the cherry tree - sakura - symbolizes rebirth, the new beginning, but at the same time also transience.

This spring 2022 was particularly beautiful with magnificent sunny days, little wind and little rainfall, allowing the flowering to stay longer. The floral splendor is particularly striking this year. In this post we give you some tips to better organize your experience.

Tips for visiting the cherry tree park:

1) Check the weather forecast

The weather in the Netherlands is known to be quite fickle. An excellent application to check me weather conditions is Buieneradar.

2) Plan your visit early in the morning.
If possible plan to go there as soon as possible so that you meet fewer people. It may be up early but it's worth it. We went at 8 in the morning and there were already other visitors. Choose a quiet time, avoiding the weekend crowds.

3) Dress in layers.
Especially if you go early in the morning it could be a bit chilly. Last time my feet were freezing. Remember warm socks.

5) Take your time.
The flowering of these trees is a spectacular event. Relax and enjoy the moment with all the time you need. Take lots of photos to have an indelible memory.

6) Accessibility:
Parking: At Burgemeester Colijnweg 200 there are 4 temporary parking spaces accessible to holders of the special parking card accessible to visitors with disabilities. The car parks are located about 15-20 minutes walk from the park and you can find them by searching Amsterdam Bos with Google Maps and then following the yellow signs with a black P. You cannot park inside the park.
Direction: there is an entrance and an exit that guide the flow of visitors.
Map: you can find the park map by clicking this link.
Toilets: There are no toilets in Blossom Park but you can but in the rest of the Amsterdam Bos there are. The toilets are open from March 1st to November 1st (but in the months of March, April, September, and October only on weekends). Most of the facilities have toilets for visitors with disabilities. Pay attention to the opening hours of the different activities Here is the list of accessible facilities:

- All kiosks

- Paviljoen Chez Favié

- Boerderij Meerzicht

- Openbare toiletvoorziening Openluchttheater

- De Boswinkel

- Evenemententerrein Radar

- Bosbaanrestaurant

- Geitenboerderij

Closing 2022:
On 5 and 6 April 2022 the municipality of Amstelveen will work on the park which will therefore be inaccessible to visits.

About the author

Silvia Causin

Welcome! I am Silvia, Italian by birth but Amsterdammer by heart and founder of AmsterdaMobile. Having always been passionate about art, touring and tourism, I decided to open this company to offer travellers a new way to explore the culture, art and history of Amsterdam. In recent years I have added to my master’s degree in the History of Arts from the University of Venice, the city referred to, jokingly of course, by Amsterdammers as the "Amsterdam of the South". I became a qualified tour guide specialized in accessible tours. Do you want to find out more about the beauties and stories of this corner of the world? Follow us also on Instagram by clicking here

Benvenuti! Sono Silvia, italiana di nascita ma Amsterdammer di cuore e fondatrice di AmsterdaMobile. Da sempre appassionata di arte, turismo e turismo, ho deciso di aprire questa azienda per offrire ai viaggiatori un nuovo modo di esplorare la cultura, l'arte e la storia di Amsterdam. Negli ultimi anni ho conseguito la laurea magistrale in Storia delle Arti presso l'Università di Venezia, la città scherzosamente definita dagli Amsterdammers "l'Amsterdam del Sud". Sono diventata una guida turistica qualificata specializzata in tour accessibili. Vuoi saperne di più sulle bellezze e le storie di questo angolo di mondo? Seguici anche su Instagram cliccando qui.

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