Weeping Cherry Tree at Asuwa Jinja

Cascading beauty in the night sky of Fukui

Takako Sakamoto Apr 06, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>When I reached the stone torii gate of Asuwa Shrine, a beautiful, mysterious cherry tree was looming in the dark inside the shrine grounds. How beautiful!</p>

<p>Dark guardian dog with brilliant cherry tree in the backdrop</p>

<p>This pathway to Asuwa Shrine was lit by paper lanterns on each side. The whole Mount Asuwa was celebrating the cherry blossom festival on this night.</p>

<p>Wow, how gorgeous! It was almost divine!</p>

<p>Looking up at a 12-meter tall weeping cherry tree</p>

<p>Silhouettes of a photographer and stone lantern admiring the elegant tree</p>

<p>On the day of the illumination, there were many people visiting the shrine at night</p>

<p>A flaring torch fire in front of the main alter</p>

<p>In love with each other, or with a beautiful cherry tree?</p>

<p>Quiet water purification font in the corner</p>

<p>Spreading her white wings in the dark sky</p>

<p>Illuminated weeping cherry tree with a stone lantern silhouetted in the foreground</p>

During the cherry blossom season, many places with cherry trees are lit up brilliantly at night in Fukui. Last night, I visited one of these places, Asuwa Shrine. This shrine is famous for its beautiful 370 year old weeping cherry tree. I had seen it in daytime before, but had never witnessed the illuminated version, so I was truly looking forward to it. And it was more than I'd expected. It was so divinely gorgeous! When I glimpsed it through the stone torii gate of the shrine it literally took my breath away. You have to see it to believe it!

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...