Hokoji Temple

Home to a beautiful weeping cherry blossom

Hokoji temple is an unmanned shrine in Kitamoto city. It is an unassuming shrine most of the year, but during the cherry blossom season people come from far and wide to see its "ippon zakura". A stand alone weeping cherry blossom tree that is famous by association: it is the "child" of one of Japan's most famous cherry blossom trees "Miharu no Takizakura". There is also a 600 year old, 20 meter tall zelkova tree that is a designated natural monument of Kitamoto city on the temple grounds.