A 500-year-old cherry tree
The Hyotan Sakura tree, which is approximately 500 years old, 21 meters tall, and 6 meters in circumference at its base, is an ancient Edohigan tree designated as a Kochi Prefecture natural monument that towers above the Sakura area of Niyodogawa.
This area was once known as Oyabu, but was renamed Sakura in 1958 in honor of this beautiful cherry tree.
The lower part (base) of the hypanthium of the tree's blossoms is shaped like a sphere and looks like a gourd when viewed from the side, which is the reason it is known affectionately as Hyotan Sakura (gourd cherry).
Locals call this cherry tree Gion-sama and continue to protect it with great care.
This is because the pioneer of the land, Genba Osaki, built a Gion shrine here, and the name derives from the fact that the shrine still welcomes worshippers to this day.
The Hyotan Sakura tree, which evokes a deep sense of connection with locals, is more than just natural beauty; it is an existence that symbolizes the history and culture of the region.
The spot where the Hyotan Sakura tree is located was once a four-way path where people heading to the hills passed each other, and the shade of the tree made it a perfect resting spot.
Many people must have visited this place in the past, as hill paths in the past were convenient paths that connected high places over ridges and passes, rather than passing through valley bottoms as they do today.
