Kariyado no Gebazakura, Special Natural Monument cherry tree in Fujinomiya, Japan
Kariyado no Gebazakura is a lone mountain cherry tree near Fujinomiya, in Shizuoka Prefecture, protected as a Special Natural Monument. The tree stands by itself at the foot of Mount Fuji, with red buds that open into white flowers each spring.
According to tradition, in 1193 the military leader Minamoto no Yoritomo stopped here during a hunt and dismounted from his horse beside this tree. That moment gave the tree its name and turned it into a recognized landmark in the region.
The name Gebazakura means roughly "dismounting cherry," referring to the moment when a passing horseman stepped down from his horse beside this tree. Today, people still gather around it each spring, sitting on the grass nearby and looking up at the white flowers against the sky.
The tree is most easily reached by bus from Fujinomiya Station, followed by a short walk along a rural path. The best time to visit is from mid to late April, when the flowers are fully open.
Every spring, yellow rapeseed flowers bloom across the field around the tree, something most visitors do not expect when they arrive. The tree is also one of the very few individual trees in Japan to hold the status of Special Natural Monument on its own.
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