Kawazu Cherry Hill

The earliest spring in the village

Kawazu cherry trees have been planted on a hillside in Tachibe, making it the place where spring arrives first in Asuka Village.

While the other trees are still bare and the fields have lost their colour, this one area turns a deep pink-red. It is still a month before the Somei-yoshino cherries bloom.

The Kawazu cherry

The Kawazu cherry is an early-flowering variety found in the town of Kawazu in Shizuoka Prefecture. The original tree was discovered there in 1955, and it is thought to be a natural hybrid of the Ōshima cherry and the Kanhi cherry.

It blooms from late February to early March. Its flowers are much deeper in colour than the Somei-yoshino, closer to crimson than pink. The blossoms also last well, staying in bloom for three weeks to a month. It is a completely different character from the Somei-yoshino, admired for the way it scatters so quickly.

Just after full bloom the leaves begin to come out, and fresh green shows between the flowers. This mix of crimson and green is lovely too.

Viewing from the slope

Because the trees stand on a slope, you can look past the branches to the roofs of the village and the hills beyond. Instead of looking up at the blossoms, you see them from the side or from above, and that is what makes this place special.

On a clear day you can see as far as the towns of the Nara basin.

There is no parking

There is no car park at the hill. The surrounding roads are narrow local lanes and farm tracks, and in the flowering season cars end up parked along them.

Parked cars get in the way of local residents and farm work, and make it impossible for cars to pass each other. Please leave your car in one of the village car parks, such as those around Asuka Station or in the Ishibutai area, and come by rental bicycle or on foot. It is about a 20-minute walk from Asuka Station.

The land around the trees is private property and farmland. Please stay out of the fields and off the ridges, and enjoy the view from the road.