Located deep in ruralNara Prefecture,Mount Yoshino has long been celebrated as Japan's most famouscherry blossom viewing spot, with over 30,000 cherry blossom trees spread across a section of mountain ridge, centered onKinpusenji Temple. Considered sacred since ancient times, the area is also dotted with historictemples andshrines, adding a pleasing cultural backdrop to a day of blossom viewing.

Unusually, the main attraction here isYamazakura - acherry blossom variant that grows naturally in the wild, blooms just ahead of the more typicalSomei Yoshino species and can be told apart by the leaves it forms at the same time as its flowers, giving it a rather less intense look. Due to higher elevation generally delaying the arrival of full bloom, visitors to the mountain may tend to notice blossoms looking less advanced as they make their way up towards the top.

Although the blossoms were looking lovely today, there will be some rain on Sunday that I am afraid may bring the peak of the season to a premature close, although some areas - especially at the higher end - will likely remain worth a visit beyond then.

The area known asShimo Senbon extends from around Yoshino Station up to the lower part of the mountain ridge. Connecting the two is an attractive road lined withcherry blossom trees, but visitors also have the option to skip it by taking a ropeway.

Here, the blossoms had already reached full bloom, with the picture somewhat complicated by a fewearlier blooming varieties by now looking a bit more sparse and beginning to shed a few petals.

Illuminations will be held in the Shimo Senbon area and in the Otonomiya Sakura Exhibition Garden in the lower part of the town from 16:30 until 22:30 up to April 20.

About 20 minutes walk further along the ridge of the mountain is theNaka Senbon area, where most of the temples, shops and restaurants can be found. One of the most attractive spots here is theNaka Senbon Park, a grassy space hemmed in by cherry blossom trees continuing down the slope and across to the opposite ridge.

In this area dominated byYamazakura trees, blossoms had only recently come into bloom creating a vibrant pink panorama, while gusts of petals from a few earlier bloomers drew excited gasps from onlookers.

Set just above the town, theKami Senbon area tends to be a bit less busy and offers a spectacular view back over the mountain ridge, the town and the surrounding landscape from theHanayagura Observation Point. Although a little less uniform than the lower sections, the blossoms here were overall still a day or two short of full bloom.

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