Yoshinoyama
April 8, 2009 - full bloom

Yoshinoyama (Mount Yoshino) is Japan's most celebrated cherry blossom spot, an important center of mountain worship and a UNESCO world heritage site. The mountain is covered by approximately 30,000 cherry trees.

Warm and sunny weather has caused cherry trees to explode into full bloom in many places across Japan in recent days. Also in Yoshino, where blossoms were only just opening three days ago, cherry trees have developed considerably.

In the mountain's lower and middle areas (Shimo Senbon and Naka Senbon), full bloom has been reached, and blizzards of falling petals (hanafubuki) already occur here and there. In the upper area (Kami Senbon), many trees are also in full bloom already, except a considerable number of cherry trees of a different variety, which are still in buds and only just about to open.

The majority of cherry trees on Yoshinoyama are Yamazakura rather than the elsewhere predominant Somei Yoshino. Yamazakura are the native, wild cherry tress of Japan. They have fewer and slightly smaller blossoms than the cultivated Somei Yoshino, and they develop their copper colored leaves at the same time as their blossoms, giving the trees a less intense appearance.