By: Alex
Nara’s Mount Yoshino is renowned as Japan’s premier cherry blossom destination, earning the nickname “Yoshino’s Thousand Cherry Trees” for its thousands of pink blossoms blanketing the mountainside. When spring arrives, the cherry blossoms bloom gradually—from the foothills to the mid-slopes and then the mountaintop. Locals have divided the area into four zones based on blooming order: Lower Thousand, Middle Thousand, Upper Thousand, and Inner Thousand. A recent photo of the Upper Thousand zone went viral online, stunning many with the revelation that the snowscape there is just as breathtaking as the cherry blossoms.
▲ This photo, featuring the Kinpusen-ji Temple’s Zaō Hall in Mount Yoshino’s Upper Thousand zone, has recently become a hot topic online. (Photo by wasabitool/twitter)
The photo was taken on January 31. Photographer wasabitool had heard the weather forecast predicting snow accumulation on Mount Yoshino after the evening of that day. Having long wanted to capture the snow-covered Zaō Hall (located within Kinpusen-ji Temple in the Upper Thousand zone), he immediately headed there with a friend after work. However, when they arrived, thick fog still shrouded the area, so they patiently waited until around 11 p.m., finally snapping the photo the moment the clouds parted.
▲ Nara often experiences thick fog in autumn and winter, creating the so-called sea of clouds phenomenon. Photo taken in October 2018. (Photo by wasabitool/twitter)
▲ The thin sea of clouds creates a fairytale-like atmosphere. (Photo by wasabitool/twitter)
Nara, an ancient capital, is not only a popular spot for cherry blossom viewing but also, due to its climate and terrain, frequently sees thick fog in autumn and winter, forming the so-called sea of clouds. As for Mount Yoshino, cherry trees have been cultivated as sacred trees since the Heian period (794–1185), and today there are over 30,000 cherry trees. From early to late April each year, the mountainside is covered in blossoms, with thousands visible at a glance—hence the saying “a thousand blossoms at a glance.”
▲ The cherry blossoms of Mount Yoshino are renowned nationwide. (Photo by wasabitool/twitter)
▲ (Photo by wasabitool/twitter)
▲ (Photo by wasabitool/twitter)
Sources: Zekkei Japan, Wasabitool