Kakunodate no Shidare-zakura (Weeping Cherry Tree)

In the samurai district of Kakunodate, several hundred-year-old weeping cherry trees hang over the earthen walls of preserved samurai residences. These shidarezakura have long, graceful branches that cascade almost to the ground, creating a curtain of pale pink blossoms in late April. The combination of historic wooden gates, tightly packed trees, and drifting petals is one of Tohoku's most memorable spring scenes. Some of the trees were planted during the Edo period and still bloom reliably each year. Visit early morning or weekdays to walk the streets without crowds pressing in.