Thousands cherries in Mt. Yoshino, Mountain of Deities of cherries

Now. Mt. Yoshino, a famous place for cherry blossoms that has been respected and loved for more than 1300 years, is in full bloom.

The cherry blossoms of Yoshino were worshiped more than 1300 years as a sacred tree since the founder of Shugendo, En no Gyoja, carved the main image, Zao Gongen, on the mountain cherry tree. Zaō Gongen (also spelled Zao) is one of the most important mountain deities of Japan’s syncretic Shugendō sects, a diverse tradition of mountain ascetic practices associated with Shintō beliefs.

It is said that there are about 30,000 trees are planted in Yashino mountain, and it is said that about 200 kinds of varieties or species are existed, and most of them are Yamazakura or Shiroyamazakura (Cerasus jamasakura).The cherry blossoms of Yoshino were worshiped more than 1300 years as a sacred tree since the founder of Shugendo, En no Gyoja, carved the main image, Zao Gongen, on the mountain cherry tree. Zaō Gongen (also spelled Zao) is one of the most important mountain deities of Japan’s syncretic Shugendō sects, a diverse tradition of mountain ascetic practices associated with Shintō beliefs.

Many cherry trees are planted along 8km strolling paths. According to the elevation and temperatures, blooming starts lower level and end in the top level, and grouped into 4 levels, from bottom Shimo Senbon (lower 1000 trees), Naka Senbon (middle 1000 trees), Kami Senbon (upper 1000 trees) and to Oku Senbon (inner 1000 trees) located at the top.