Koyasan Cherry Blossoms

The massive wild cherry trees from Mount Kōya are a particularly long-lived species. The cherry blossoms of Mount Kōya are unique and have long been cherished by the Japanese people. In front of Sanmidō Hall stands a cherry tree known as the “Saigyō Tree,” which was personally planted by the renowned Japanese waka poet, Priest Saigyō. He once composed a poem expressing his love for Kōyasan’s cherry blossoms: “I wish to die beneath a cherry tree in spring, gazing at the moon.”