Trees erupting into voluminous clouds of pink blossoms covering an entire mountainside is a sight which will remain etched into your heart forever. The greatest and most beautiful sakura location in Japan will irrevocably change your life and all you have to do........is get there.
Sakura have been a part of Mt. Yoshino’s landscape for more than 1300 years. In the latter half of the 7th century Shugendo, mountain ascetic Buddhist, practitioners established Kinpusenji Temple on Mt. Yoshino and carved the principle deity of the temple, the fierce Zaogongen-Sama, out of sakura trees. Since that time, the sakura has been considered the tree of gods and a plant to be revered and protected. From around the 8th century onward people came to Mt. Yoshino and planted sakura trees both as prayers to Zaogongen and to increase the area’s beauty. There are about 200 species of sakura and upward of 30,000 individual trees on Mt. Yoshino today. Combined with the historic temples and shrines and a landscape that is the realization of many a shoji sliding door mural or scroll painting, it is no surprise that Mt. Yoshino is acknowledged as the greatest sakura viewing location in Japan.
Thousands of people from all over Japan and the world come to see and experience the wonder and the frequent train services of the Kintetsu Railroad mean that Mt. Yoshino’s rural locale is no obstacle to anyone with a ticket to ride.
From Nara Park to Yoshino
The rail distance from Nara Park to Mt. Yoshino is just 53 kilometers (33 miles). The one way fare from Kintetsu Nara Station on the local, rapid and express service trains is just ￥850, and the regular train services take less than 2 hours to complete the trek with two easy train changes at Yamato Saidaiji and Kashihara Jingumae Stations. Faster and more comfortable special express train services, complete with reserved seats, are also available for an additional ￥900 special express and reserved seat fee. The special express service still requires train changes at Yamato Saidaiji and Kashihara Jingumae Stations but it completes the run from Nara to Yoshino in less than 90 minutes and grants riders a high level of comfort.
From Kyoto to Yoshino
Getting from Kyoto to Yoshino is almost a direct shot. Local, express and special express train services complete the run from Kintetsu Kyoto Station (in the same building as the bullet train and JR Lines) to Yoshino Station, with a single train change at Kashihara Jingumae, in between 1 hour and 40 minutes and 2 hours 20 minutes. There are 12 departures per hour at peak travel times and the one way base fare is ￥1,230. Riding the special express service, which includes a reserved seat, adds ￥900 to that price.
From Osaka to Yoshino
The trip from Osaka to Yoshino is the easiest and quickest route of all. Local, express and special express trains run from Kintetsu Osaka Abenobashi Station straight to Yoshino in as little as 1 hour and 15 minutes. The one way base fare is ￥970 and a reserved seat on a special express train adds ￥510 to the price but cuts the travel time down to the shortest from any major city in the Kansai region.
A ropeway to take visitors up Mt. Yoshino is located opposite Yoshino Station as are a road and hiking trail up into the sakura trees. Off the train and into a life-alteringly great adventure.