Located in the Saga Prefecture’s Takeo City, a lone sakura tree may not sound like much. But, this aged tree stands beautifully amidst a vibrant hillside come cherry blossom season. Also known as mountain cherry trees, yamazakura are one of the most common types of sakura in Japan. As indicated by its name, these trees are often found in mountainous regions and grow to 15-25 meters in height. Unlike many other cherry tree varieties, however, these ones tend to grow in the wild, especially in west and central Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku.
Baba Mountain’s Lone Sakura
Photo by: PIXTA/ Ay create This yamazakura has been standing alone on a hillside for about 120 years.
About a fifteen-minute drive from the center of Takeo City, through the hot spring resorts and mountainous terrain, you’ll come to the Baba Mountain sakura tree. This yamazakura has been standing alone on a hillside for about 120 years surrounded by a present-day mikan orchard. According to local stories, the tree was discovered after a farming road was extended to the area and has since been designated as a natural monument by the city of Takeo.
Measuring about 12 meters tall and stretching out 18 meters along its east-west axis and 13 meters north-south, it is the city’s largest yamazakura tree. Beginning at the end of March and continuing through the beginning of April, this tree erupts into a sea of five-petaled pale pink blooms.
Nanohana Blooms
Photo by: PIXTA/ 秋AKI This giant camphor tree may be approximately 3,000 years old.
While the Baba Mountain sakura alone is worth the trip to Takeo, it’s the surrounding nanohana (rapeseed) flowers that make this spot a truly magical experience. Rapeseed flowers tend to bloom at the end of winter until the early spring. With a relatively long blooming period, you can enjoy their small, bright yellow flowers before and during the cherry blossom season. On a clear day, you’ll be able to take in the pink pops of sakura rising above a sea of yellow blooms against a blue sky backdrop.
On your trip to see the Baba Mountain sakura, you should take advantage of the other sites that Takeo has to offer. Back in the city and about a 20-minute drive from the famed yamazakura, you can bask in the shadow of Takeo no Okusu. This giant camphor tree may be approximately 3,000 years old. Standing 26 meters tall with a root base measuring around 26 meters in circumference, Takeo Okusu is the sixth largest tree in the country.
