A tall mountain cherry tree stands on the bank of a pond halfway up 716-meter-high Mt. Hachiman-dake. The tree is more than one hundred years old. Local people call the tree the “Jirakansu Cherry” and have cared it for ages. It is not until recently that the tree became famous outside the local community. In recent years, an increasing number of people visit not only from Takeo City, but also from other cities in Saga Prefecture, or neighboring Fukuoka and Nagasaki Prefectures to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom reflected in the pond water.

In the season when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, the tree is illuminated at night, and visitors can enjoy the dreamy sight of the lit-up cherry tree.

The tree is located in a small mountain village surrounded by terraced rice fields on the southern hill of Mt. Hachiman-dake in the Saga Prefectural Natural Park and the rich nature of the mountains. Mt. Hachiman-dake and Mt. Mayuyama that are part of this area is a camping spot in summer. If the weather conditions are fine, you can enjoy the clouds hovering over the Kawago Basin at the foot of the mountains.

The season of the Jirakansu Cherry changes from year to year due to temperature, but is usually in early April. You can drive to near the cherry tree. However it is recommended during the day to leave your car at the parking lots of the Wakaki Public Hall or Okusu Park at the foot of the mountain, and fully enjoy about a one-hour walk. In the bloomingseason, unique scarecrow signs lead you to the tree.

Please ask at the Wakaki Public Hall for information on the flowering of the Jirakansu Cherry tree. (Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.) Take a Showa Bus or Yutoku Bus from JR Kyushu Takeo Onsen Station to the center of Wakaki-cho. Please check beforehand, because the number of services is limited and there are no bus services on Sundays and public holidays.

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