Although we were a week late for the peak cherry blossoms, my father and I hopped on the train in Osaka-Abenobashi Station to go to Yoshino Station (90 minutes, 1170 JPY per way) in the hopes of seeing some cherry blossom trees in Mount Yoshino. Mount Yoshino is a popular place in Nara for cherry blossom viewing, because it is said to be covered in about 30,000 cherry blossom trees!
Yoshino Station is on the foot of Mount Yoshino. To get to Yoshino Town up on the mountain, one has to take a cable car (or another option during cherry blossom season, a shuttle bus).
From Yoshino Station, it is a short walk to Senbonguchi Ropeway Station (for the cable car) and the shuttle bus stop. This 1-minute walk will become a 15-minute walk with stops at the Tourist Information Center and the four to five shops selling food and souvenirs.
Seeing a shop selling kakinoha-zushi (sushi wrapped in persimmon leaf), which I had learned about when I joined a walking tour in Naramachi in 2016 but had not had the chance to try, I bought a small box for a quick breakfast. My father and I had our quick kakinoha-zushi breakfast (and no, the leaf is not for eating, it is only used to preserve the sushi) on one of the low wooden benches in front of the shop. I had to gulp down water to wash away the fishy-vinegary taste of the kakinoha-zushi, one of the few Japanese food that did not agree with my tastebuds.
To get to the Yoshino Town, I opted for the shuttle bus (450 yen), since this would take us farther up the mountain than the ropeway, thinking it would be easier on our knees to walk back down. What none of my research told me was that the final stop of the shuttle bus would welcome us with stairs! Though there were not that many steps, it was way too many steps for my 70-year-old father who hasn't exercised in a long time. My father, trooper that he is, huffed and puffed up the stairs so we could get to the road that led to shrines, temples, souvenir shops, and restaurants.
During the cherry blossom season, there are also mini buses that would take visitors from Nakasenbon to Kamisenbon, farther up the mountain. I wanted to go to Kamisenbon, but with the long queue, it looked like everyone else wanted to go, too. This and the thought of letting my father walk a lot made me change my mind. So it was just Nakasenbon for now.
We had a look-see in Sakuramotobo Temple, which had some cherry blossom trees.
We also came across a parking lot that had a nice view of a mountainside with cherry blossom trees.
This mountain town is also home to three World Heritage Sites: Mikumari Shrine, Yoshimizu Shrine, and Kinpusenji Temple. But I only managed to visit the latter two.
Yoshimizu Shrine 吉水神社 (open daily from 9AM to 5PM, 600 yen admission fee) was founded in the 8th century and was originally a temple. If you're into Japanese history, this shrine would be of interest for, over the years, it hosted some important Japanese historical figures, such as Emperor Go Daigo and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In Yoshimizu Shrine's Shoin (library-like building), there are exhibits relating to these important persons. As a bonus, Yoshimizu Shrine also has an area that offers an unobstructed view of the mountain's cherry blossom covered slopes.
Kinpusenji Temple 金峯山寺 (open daily from 830AM to 4PM, 800 yen admission fee for Zao-do Hall) is the most important Shugendo temple in Yoshino. Shugendo is a religion based on a combination of Buddhist and Shinto beliefs. Kinpusenji's 34-meter tall Zao-do Hall is the second largest wooden structure in Japan (the largest is Todaiji Temple, also in Nara).
In between shrine/temple visits, we ate whatever caught our eye: kuzumochi, sakura ice cream, roasted chestnuts, and gohei mochi.
I would have wanted to explore more, but my father was tired, and we called it a day after just three hours. This time, to return to Yoshino Station, instead of taking the shuttle bus, we got on the cable car (450 yen, departs every 15 minutes).
Yoshino deserves more than just three hours and I hope to return some day.
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