Mt. Yoshino: Low Clouds

My last sakura post! I don't know when I'll be able to visit Japan (especially during spring!) again after I finish my time on the JET Program, so I went to as many places as I could this year for the sakura. Mt. Yoshino is Japan's most famous sakura area with thousands of the trees planted along the mountainside as well as lining the roads leading up to the top. The mountain is split into four sections: Shimo Senbon; located at the base of the mountain, Naka Senbon; the middle area, Kami Senbon; towards the upper part of the mountain, and Oku Senbon; the inner area. 

Because of the variety of elevation, peak blooming season differs among the bottom, middle, upper and inner areas, making Mt. Yoshino an excellent place to visit. While I was keeping my fingers crossed for a nice day, the clouds thought otherwise and rolled in, covering parts of the mountain in fog and clouds. Not the best way to view the sakura which had also suffered from the recent rain and wind, but it was still very much worth the trip :) 

There is a ropeway for people to take up to the entrance of the town, but it's better to just walk the extra ten minutes uphill. The views are gorgeous and why bother waiting in line for half an hour?

The entrance of the town that leads to Naka Senbon. You can find most of the restaurants, accommodations, shops and temples/shrines along this area.

Kinpusenji Temple

Three-story pagoda 

View from Yoshimizu shrine, a particularly popular and famous area to get a picture of the mountainside. 

Crowds pouring in from the trains and tour buses.

Gradually walked up the winding road towards the Kami Senbon.

Waiting patiently for the clouds to part

Finally made it to Hanayagura Viewpoint!

Long walk back down to the Shimo Senbon

And only ten minutes away from the train station!!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Sakura Crowds

I promise you all that I'm almost done with my sakura posts-- this will be the second to the last! Continuing from my day at Tetsugaku no Michi, I headed back to Nanzenji to pick up an omamori for my mom and myself before retracing my steps to the Keage Incline. It's lined with over a hundred sakura trees and is another popular sakura spot for many people. If you come early before the crowds, it looks magnificent :) There were a couple of wedding shoots earlier in the morning when I passed by-- sakura season is always a popular time with wedding couples who manage to time it right. On the way back to Sannomiya, I stopped by Shukugawa Park because I've read about how spectacular it is during sakura season. That was squashed immediately by the hordes of people enjoying some hanami time with their family and friends. It was fun to people watch and take photos of the sakura, but when you're being herded along a path, it gets a little frustrating. I left within half an hour of getting there. 

One of the numerous bridges that was being crossed at Shukugawa.

Get there early if you want a decent spot. 

Some wine and an actual table for those who wish to be a bit more fancy :] 

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful week! :)