Miharu Takizakura

Miharu Takizakura is an Edo-higan-type weeping cherry tree (beni-shidarezakura) counted among Japan’s three great cherry trees alongside Neodani Usuzumi-zakura (Motosu City, Gifu) and Yamataka Jindai-zakura (Hokuto City, Yamanashi). It was designated a National Natural Monument on October 12, 1922 (Taisho 11). Its age is estimated at over 1,000 years, and it is a massive tree: about 13.5 m tall, trunk circumference around 11.3 m, and a spread of roughly 25 m east–west and 20 m north–south. Up close, its scale is overwhelming. Around mid to late April each year, pale pink blossoms spill down from thick branches in all directions like a waterfall, which is why it is called "Takizakura" (Waterfall Cherry). Overflowing with vitality—said even to repair hollows in its trunk by itself—the tree survived the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake without major damage and continues to encourage visitors. Because it’s so powerful that it hardly feels like a single tree, viewing it from different angles reveals different kinds of beauty. The illuminated tree at night is also elegant and well worth seeing.