Yoshino - Best Place To View The Cherry Blossoms

There are few places called Yoshino, and the one famous for its thousands of sakura trees is located in Nara Prefecture. The town is covered by mountains. Yoshino has an estimated population of about 9,500.

I was talking about the beauty of cherry trees there in spring with somebody who has never been there. Here are some photos taken in Yoshino, Hiro-san!

Yoshino is also the start point for some pilgrimage trail. As for the sakura trees, they were planted at different altitudes on the mountain slopes. Thus, the view is magnificent. This spot was mentioned as early as the beginning of the 18th century.

I went by bus, a one-day trip organized by Trapics. The lunch received on the way was an obento with spring ingredients and colours.

The town was a celebration of spring itself.

Yoshino is incredibly packed when the sakura is blooming.

Above and below there is Kinpusen-ji or Zao Do, National Treasure of Japan. Oldest documentation: 1103. There are 68 wooden pillars here, one of which is especially unique, carved from the trunk of a rare azalea tree.

The sweets are seasonal, like mostly everything. Delightful!

The tiny branches of cherry tree are hashioki 箸置き, the chopstick rest.

Senbei with sakura cream - delicious:

And the way back home, to Osaka: