Miharu Takizakura

Overview

On a gentle hillside in Miharu Town, Fukushima Prefecture, a single cherry tree has stood for over a thousand years. Miharu Takizakura — literally "waterfall cherry of Miharu" — is a weeping Edo-higan cherry (Prunus itosakura) of extraordinary size: its trunk measures roughly 11 metres in circumference, the canopy stretches more than 20 metres in both directions, and its gnarled, reaching branches have become one of the most iconic silhouettes in Japanese nature. Designated a National Natural Monument, it is counted among the "Three Great Cherry Trees of Japan" alongside the Usuzumi Cherry in Gifu and the Jindai Cherry in Yamanashi. The name "Takizakura" — waterfall cherry — captures exactly what happens when the tree blooms. Thousands of tiny rose-purple blossoms cascade from every branch tip in unison, pouring downward like water over a cliff face. The spectacle typically unfolds in early to mid-April, drawing visitors from across the country who come to witness this singular tree rather than a park full of trees. Evening illuminations, held during the bloom period, transform the cascade into something otherworldly — crimson light suspended against a dark sky, the farmland of the Abukuma highlands stretching silently beyond. Miharu Town itself takes its name from the phenomenon of plum, peach, and cherry blossoms all flowering at the same time — a fleeting overlap that the mild microclimate of this inland basin makes possible. Even outside cherry season, the surrounding countryside offers a quietly beautiful landscape of rice paddies, persimmon orchards, and wooded hillsides that change with every month of the year.

Access

📍 Address: Sakurakubo, Taki, Miharu, Tamura, Fukushima

From Miharu Station (JR Ban-etsu East Line), take a bus or taxi, approximately 15 minutes. By car, about 10 minutes from Funehiki-Miharu IC on the Ban-etsu Expressway. Shuttle buses and designated parking operate during bloom season — expect heavy traffic on peak weekends.

Map

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