Ishiwarizakura (The Rock-Splitting Cherry Tree)

Ishiwari-zakura is a single cherry tree over 360 years old, growing from a crack in a massive granite boulder inside the grounds of the Morioka District Court. The trunk diameter is about 1.35 meters, and the sight of the tree emerging from stone makes it one of Morioka’s most iconic spring photo spots. To get there, from JR Morioka Station you can take the 【201】Aoyama-cho Line (bound for the Bus Center) from the station-front area, get off at the fourth stop, Chuo-dori 1-chome, then walk about two minutes southeast along Chuo-dori / Prefectural Route 1 to the court grounds on the left. This area is said to have been the garden of a branch family of the Nanbu clan around the Kan’ei era, and in the early Meiji period the tree was reportedly called "Sakuraunseki." There is also a legend that a lightning strike created the boulder’s crack, a seed of Edo Higan cherry took root there, and the tree grew over time. In 1923 (Taisho 12), it was designated a National Natural Monument. The blossoms typically peak in mid-April, attracting many visitors during the day, and the illuminated night cherry blossoms are also especially atmospheric.