In this part of Japan, cherry blossoms appear twice a year

NAGOYA, Japan – Who said you can only see sakura or cherry blossoms in Japan in spring?

Unknown to many, there is a certain place here where you can see sakura and autumn leaves at the same time.

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Located in Aichi Prefecture in Central Japan, the district of Obara has over 10,000 special cherry blossom trees called shikizakura (literally means “four-season sakura”), which bloom twice a year.

Aside from the usual cherry blossom season in Japan (late March to early April), shikizakura also appear from mid-November to early December, with the pink flowers blooming against a backdrop of beautiful fall foliage.

The shikizakura trees are said to have originated in the early 1800s. Physician Genseki Fujimoto was presented with one in Nagoya, and he planted it in Obara.

The nice combination of cherry blossoms and autumn leaves has since become a tourist attraction in Obara, which is also known for washi or Japanese paper and kabuki, an elaborate dance-drama.

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ACCESS BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

From Toyota City, go to Meitetsu Toyotashi station and board a Toyota Oiden Bus bound for Kaminigi. The trip will take around one hour. Toyota City can be reached by train from Nagoya.

To know more about shikizakura spots in Obara, click here.

ABS-CBN News visited Obara as part of a media tour organized by the tourism association of Aichi Prefecture and Ysmael Moyer Valenzuela & Associates Inc.