| DATE: | April 10, 2007 |
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| PLACE: | Hirano Miyamoto-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto |
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| DIRECTION: | City Bus #205 or #50 to Kinugasako-mae | |
| TEL: | 81-75-461-4450 | |
| ADMISSION: | Free | |
| TEXT: | TEXT: This cherry blossom festival is said to have began on the orders of Emperor Hanayama in 985. Hirano Shrine is a famous cherry blossom spot as Emperor Hanayama planted the cherry trees there himself. Cherry blossoms even appear on the shrine’s crest. The uniqueness of Hirano Shrine is its unparalleled number of cherry tree types. Some 400 cherry trees belonging to 50 varieties bloom with beauty in the shrine grounds. The shrine’s 10 rare varieties bring added color to spring with a spectrum of graceful beauty. Sakigake, for example, is a famous weeping, single-flower cherry tree whose blossom is believed to be a harbinger of spring in Kyoto. Nezame is a single-flower cherry tree known to bloom with green leaves, offering a striking contrast. |