Five great cherry blossom trees of Japan (Nihon Godai Zakura)

You must have seen many photos and videos of cherry blossoms from all over Japan in the last few weeks and will probably do so for the next few weeks but did you know that Japan has "Five Great Cherry Blossoms"? How about adding these to your to-do list if you plan a spring vacation in Japan in the coming years!

Five great cherry blossoms

Japan's Great Five Sakura were selected by the Japanese government as “National Natural Monuments” in the year 1922. Known as the “Nihon Godai Zakura,” the Five Great Sakura Trees of Japan, three of them can also be referred to as "three giant cherry blossom trees."

Three giant cherry trees of Japan Yamataka Jindai Zakura (Yamanashi Prefecture) Usuzumi-zakura (Gifu Prefecture) Miharu Takizakura (Fukushima Prefecture)

Remaining two - older than 800 years

Ishitokaba Zakura (Saitama Prefecture) Kariyado no Gebazakura (Shizuoka Prefecture) The three giant cherry trees are more than 1,000 years old, and the remaining two are over 800 years old.

The FIVE

Yamataka Jindai Zakura (Yamanashi Prefecture)

The Yamataka Jindai Cherry Blossom Tree on the premises of Jisso-ji (temple) is one of the Three Major Trees in Japan. The tree is a wild Edo-higan Zakura estimated to be 1,800 or 2,000 years old, and has a surprisingly distinctive character. Its height is 10.3m, and its trunk is about 10m around.

The tree has been selected as one of the new best 100 trees in Japan. Under the tree in full blossom, you can enjoy gorgeous cherry blossoms in a relaxed manner and local foods right along street stands. Japanese name: Yamataka Jindai Zakura Location: 2763 Mukawacho Yamataka, Hokuto-shi, Yamanashi, Japan Official website: http://park8.wakwak.com/~matsunaga/

Usuzumi-zakura (Gifu Prefecture)

This sakura tree is located in Sumiyoshi Park, Motosu, Gifu Prefecture. It is estimated that the age of the tree is more than 1,500 years. At a height of 16.3 meters, when the tree is in full bloom the flowers appear white. When the flowers have reached their peak and are ready to fall, they appear light gray (usuzumi = light ink).

This legendary tree was planted by Emperor Keitai in the 5th century. In addition, there is a special "Sakura Train Trip" at the nearby Kansai Railway from April 1 to April 15. Japanese name: Usuzumi-zakura Location: 995 Jodan Neoitashoji, Motosu-shi, Gifu Official website: http://www.city.motosu.lg.jp/

Miharu Takizakura (Fukushima Prefecture)

The Miharu Takizakura, located in Miharu, Fukushima, gains the most votes as the single most beautiful cherry tree in Japan. "Takizakura" literally means "waterfall cherry tree" in Japanese; and why wouldn't it be called so. The 12-meter tall tree's cascading branches spread out over 20 meters east-west and 18 meters north-south; its trunk has a girth of 9.5 meters.

Japanese name: Miharu Takizakura Address: Okura Taki Ishikura Kubo, Miharu-machi, Tamura-gun, Fukushima-ken Official website: http://www.town.miharu.fukushima.jp/

Ishitokaba Zakura (Saitama Prefecture)

Located in Kitabetsu-shi, Saitama Prefecture, the Ishitokaba Zakura is a natural hybrid, the only one of its kind, between a Yamazakura and an Edohigan, and is also called "Kabazakura." The height of the tree is 14 meters and it is 800 years old. Apparently in the 1960s, the tree stopped flowering but constant efforts towards revitalization resulted in its survival. Japanese name: Ishitokaba Zakura Address: Within the precincts of Tokoji Temple, 3-119 Ishidojuku, Kitamoto, Saitama Official website: http://www.machikan.com/

Kariyado no Gebazakura (Shizuoka Prefecture)

Located in Fujinoma-shi, Shizuoka prefecture, this is one of the most ancient "yamazakura" trees in the country. This tree gets its name from the origin of the Kamakura Shogunate that was established in 1193. There is a famous haiku by Japan's 15th Edo shogunate Tokugawa Yoshinobu mentioning how people's hearts are attached to the beauty of this cherry blossom tree like a horse tied to its trunk.

The 35-meter-long tree is more than 800 years old. Over the years, it has been weathered by typhoons, etc. but when in its best health it was 114 meters tall. Japanese name: Kariyado no Gebazakura Address: 98-1 Kariyado, Fujinomiya-shi, Shizuoka Official website: http://www.city.fujinomiya.lg.jp/ Let's tour the top five cherry blossoms with a Google MAP list! Whether you are planning to see the Big Five in one go in 2018, or only one or two of them, you will have all the information you need at a click. Import this list to your personal Google and discover the beauty of spring in Japan. To see the list, please click here:https://goo.gl/maps/5dtBNm3PT5A2

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