weeping cherry blossoms | Japanese Countryside Travel Notes

There are many temples with the same name, Hōzenji, throughout Japan, but the most famous is the Hōzenji in Osaka, which houses the Mizukake Fudo Myoo (Water-Pouring Fudo Myoo). Because worshippers all pour water on the statue with ladles, the statue of Fudo Myoo is covered in moss.

weeping cherry blossoms in Hozenji temple (7)

Now, this blog post is about Hozenji Temple in Chichibu. Weeping cherry blossoms bloom earlier than Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms, so I had given up on seeing them, thinking they would have already fallen. However, the station attendant at Ohanabatake Station on the Chichibu Railway gave a detailed announcement of the day’s highlights, and he said that the weeping cherry blossoms at Hozenji Temple were still beautiful, although slightly past their peak. Since he said he had seen it before going to work, I believed his words and walked 2.5 kilometers down Kita-Sakura Street, then continued walking silently towards Hozenji Temple.

weeping cherry blossoms in Hozenji temple (1)

weeping cherry blossoms in Hozenji temple (2)

weeping cherry blossoms in Hozenji temple (4)

weeping cherry blossoms in Hozenji temple (6)

weeping cherry blossoms in Hozenji temple (5)

weeping cherry blossoms in Hozenji temple (8)

Indeed, even from a distance, the vast cluster of weeping cherry trees looked like a small hill. If we had come a little earlier, we might have been able to see the weeping cherry trees in full bloom, their branches covered in blossoms, stretching up the cliff behind the temple, but the white weeping cherry trees covering the area around the temple were simply magnificent. They are said to be 100 years old.

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (2) — Go back to Itinerary

Heading west from Kagemori Station on the Chichibu Railway, you’ll find a series of temples along the line, each boasting magnificent weeping cherry trees. It’s a bit of a distance, but it’s a leisurely stroll along the country road, admiring the cherry blossoms planted here and there along the way. Incidentally, the Arakawa River, which flows through downtown Tokyo, runs along the railway line. Here, it carves a deep gorge.

Urayamaguchi Station (2)

Urayamaguchi Station (1)

Shofukuji Temple

weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (1)

First, I started walking from Bushu-Hino Station. Although there were no signs, I climbed up beside a farmhouse and suddenly Shofuku-ji Temple appeared. The sight of the cherry blossoms adorning the temple gate, which you can see when you look up the stairs, is truly breathtaking. This spot is on a slight hill, so you can see the Chichibu Basin beyond the curtain of weeping cherry blossoms in front of you, with cherry blossoms visible everywhere. You can also see the Chichibu Railway, and you’ll probably even see the steam locomotives moving along, spewing black smoke.

weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (3)

weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (7)

weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (8)

weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (9)

weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (10)

weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (4)

weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (6)

weeping cherry blossoms in Shofukuji temple (5)

Seiunj Temple and Wakajishi Shrine

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (11)

Next, we head towards the weeping cherry tree forest at Seiunji Temple, which is often seen on posters. Along the way, we pass a shrine with a sumo wrestling ring. The weeping cherry trees at Seiunji Temple are simply breathtaking. If you climb the stairs of the adjacent Wakajishi Shrine and look down from above, you can enjoy an even more spectacular view of the weeping cherry forest. Incidentally, the protective statue at the entrance of this shrine is a wolf, not a guardian lion. Apparently, they light up the shrine at night during the cherry blossom festival, and the fact that there are stalls selling farming tools gives it a very rural festival feel.

weeping cherry blossoms (1)field of sumo wrestling

weeping cherry blossoms (2)

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (1)

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (3)

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (4)

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (5)

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (6)

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (7)

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (8)

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (9)Wolves instead of guardian lions

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (10)

weeping cherry blossoms in Seiunji temple (12)

source: Chichibumovies

Chosenji Temple

weeping cherry blossoms in Chosenji temple (7)

Finally, we visit Chōsenji Temple, famous for the revival of a giant weeping cherry tree that had once declined in vitality. Weeping cherry trees bloom earlier than Somei Yoshino cherry trees, so the giant white weeping cherry tree here has already shed its blossoms, but the temple grounds are beautifully maintained. Furthermore, this temple is worth visiting this year because it is unveiling its hidden Buddha statue for the Year of the Horse. However, since the unveiling is taking place in the back of the temple hall, which is quite dark, it is very difficult to see the face of the Kannon statue, making it almost as if it were not unveiled at all.