Details on the Obara area's four-season cherry blossoms

History
Obara's four-season cherry blossoms are said to have come from saplings received from the Nagoya area and planted by Dr. Genseki Fujimoto from the town of Obara-Kita during the Bunsei period, 1818–1831.

Characteristics
The trees are thought to be a cross between Cerasus incisa and Cerasus itosakura, and bloom into a shade of white or light pink. The fat buds which develop during the summer blossom from autumn to winter in turn with smaller flowers waiting through the winter for mid-March when they start to blossom. Coinciding with timing of the leaves coming back on the trees, the spring blossoms appear relatively fewer in number as those in the fall.

Designation as a natural monument
These four-season cherry blossoms were designated the Obara area's natural monument in 1978. The pride of the residents has given way to efforts to increase the number of trees, and so you can find them all around Obara. The four-season cherry blossoms owned by Mamoru Nimura in the town of Maebora receive special conservation status as they are more than 100 years old and were even designated natural monuments of the prefecture of Aichi on November 28, 1984.

Spring: Mid-Mar–early Apr / Fall: Late Oct–early Dec
The perfect time to enjoy the flowers is typically early Nov–late Nov.

Notes:
• Times vary by year.
• The cherry blossoms in Obara differ from typical cherry blossoms and bloom more significantly in fall with smaller blossoms in spring.

Blooming updates: Obara Tourism Association site (External link. Japanese only, but offers dates and pictures.)

Note that there are long distances between each venue.
• For those walking: Obara Fureai Park→Obara Paper Art Museum (50 min.)→Semmi Shikizakura no Sato Park (60 min.)→Maebora Four-Season Cherry Blossoms (35 min.)
• For those coming by car:
Obara Fureai Park→Obara Paper Art Museum (5 min.)→Semmi Shikizakura no Sato Park (5 min.)→Maebora Four-Season Cherry Blossoms (4 min.)