Cherry Blossoms Season at Seiunji, Chichibu
Seiunji Temple is known for its beautiful weeping cherry blossoms. About 30 cherry trees are planted in the precincts. Among them, the 600-year-old weeping cherry tree, which is said to have been planted when Seiunji was built in 1420, stands out. When it is in full bloom, the precincts are beautifully dyed in light pink and crimson. The stone garden in the back is a masterpiece, and in the fall the surrounding autumn leaves are also wonderful. The rock garden continues to the top of the mountain and is much wider than it looks. You can enjoy the sights of zazen stones, rage stones, and the cliffs of Buddha are scattered around. During the peak viewing period, the Seiunji Temple area is bustling with people and events. Also, it is lit up on the first and second Friday and Saturday nights in April.
Seiunji Temple
At the foot of Mt. Wakamiko, there are about 30 cherry trees, including weeping cherry trees and red weeping cherry trees, at the Rinzai sect Kenchoji school, Iwamatsuyama Seiunji Temple. It is said that one of the weeping cherry trees was hand-planted by Kozen Somine, who opened Seiunji Temple in 1446. It is said that the branches of the Edhigan family drooped down, and the height of the tree is 15m, the branch is more than 10m, the street is 2.72m, and the root is 4.25m. It is designated as a natural monument in Saitama Prefecture. In addition to the monument Edhigan, there are three types of weeping cherry trees: pink, double pink, and white flowers.
Chichibu
Chichibu (秩父市, Chichibu-shi) is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Chichibu is in the westernmost part of Saitama. Unlike other parts of the prefecture, it is largely mountainous and the population is concentrated in river terraces along the Arakawa River. It is Saitama’s largest municipality in terms of surface area and shares borders with Tokyo, Yamanashi, Nagano and Gunma Prefectures. A large portion of the city belongs to Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park.
General Information
Address: 690 Arakawakamitano, Chichibu, Saitama 369-1802, Japan
Telephone: 0494-54-2114
Cherry Blossoms period: Late March to Mid-April
Ease of Access
Train / Bus / Walk
Get off at Chichibu Railway “Bushu-Nakagawa Station” 15 minutes on foot
Car
About 40 minutes from Kanetsu Expressway Hanazono IC via National Highway 140
