Kyoto - Yoshinoyama - Endless cherry blossoms

Thursday was once again all about cherry blossoms. In a documentary, we learned about the place called Yoshino. Yoshino is a small village in Nara Prefecture and is mainly known for Mount Yoshinoyama and its 30,000 cherry trees. There is even a cherry blossom variety named "Yoshino cherry". The different altitudes of the trees result in the blooming happening at different times, and the Sakura season (cherry blossom season) lasts longer than average.

We reached Yoshino from Kyoto in about 3 hours. Unfortunately, it was very cold in the morning (Yoshinoyama is located at a higher altitude) and the sun only appeared sporadically. Nevertheless, we tried to explore as much as possible in the area. From the viewpoint Hanayagura, we had the best view of the entire mountainside. Seeing so many cherry trees in one place was very impressive. The pink cherry trees amid all the other green trees almost looked like someone had poured a bucket of pink paint over the forest.

We also witnessed an interesting procession. Monks and mainly young men marched through the village towards Kinpusenji Temple, reciting certain phrases in a prayer-like manner, presumably to welcome spring. The men also visibly felt the cold.

It was a great day trip with many new impressions from a region that is mostly unknown to Western tourists.