Cherry Blossoms Paint Nara Pref. Hills in Spring Colors; Yoshinoyama Peaks Nearing Full Bloom

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:22 JST, April 9, 2025

NARA — Cherry trees of multiple varieties are in full blossom on the hills in Yoshino, Nara Prefecture. The cherry tree varieties, Someiyoshino with pale pink blossoms and Shiro-yamazakura with white blossoms, paint the Yoshinoyama area in the colors of spring. The hills are considered one of the best places in the country to view cherry blossoms.

It is believed there are about 30,000 cherry trees around the Yoshinoyama area. Trees at the foot of the hills are the first to blossom, followed by those higher up and then those around the peaks. According to the Yoshino municipal government’s industry and tourism department, the trees began blossoming later than last year due to a stretch of cold days in March. Still, the low-altitude trees, called shimo-senbon (thousand trees at the bottom), are already in full bloom, and the trees on the hillside, called naka-senbon (thousand trees in the middle), are almost in full blossom. The trees around the peaks, called kami-senbon (thousand trees on top), are expected to be in full bloom around Friday, followed by the trees deep in the hills, called oku-senbon (thousand trees in deep), around Tuesday next week.