Cherry blossoms in Kakunodate
桜の由来－シダレザクラ編－
It dates back to the feudal era, about 360 years ago.
When the wife of Yoshiaki, the second head of the Kakunodate Satake clan, got married, she brought three cherry tree saplings with her from the Sanjo Nishi family home in Kyoto.
It is said that this tradition was passed down over the years and eventually became the "Kakunodate Weeping Shidarezakura" that remains to this day.
In Japan, many cherry trees are designated as natural monuments, but it is said that there are few weeping cherry trees designated as such. Of the approximately 400 Shidarezakura currently in existence, 162 have been designated as national natural monuments.
Kakunodate's Shidarezakura were praised for the beauty of their blooming clusters.
Small white and pink petals stretch out along supple branches. They blend beautifully with the cherry trees dangling from either side of the samurai residences in this charming castle town.
The splendid appearance of the 300-year-old Shidarezakura, reminiscent of Kyoto, is sure to soothe the hearts of all who visit.
In fact, there is no cherry tree variety called "Shidarezakura." It is said to be a weeping Edo Higan cherry tree, meaning that the branches that should normally grow upwards now hang down.
It is thought that the rapid cell division at the tip of the branch causes the weight at the tip to increase, which is why the branch naturally points downward. More than 90% of the cherry trees along the samurai residence street are Shidarezakura, a variety of the Edo Higan cherry tree.