Lost amidst the waving fields, under a sky unfurling with immaculate clarity, the branches of the Komatsunagi display their panache. If you seek those places where time seems to stretch out, you’ve come to the right spot!
An old branch that has lost none of its grandeur
Unperturbed, this historic “Higanzakura” cherry tree is said to be over 460 years old. Its trunk measures nearly 4.7 meters in circumference and 13 meters in height. A unique silhouette and heritage that earns it the designation of a natural monument of the prefecture.
Stroll along the rice paddy’s edge and admire the play of floral hues reflected on the water mirror, in a hypnotic dance with the rising sun or nascent twilight.
But do not be mistaken, the spectacle of the Komatsunagi cherry tree does not end with the setting sun. As night falls, it dons its luminous garb for a nocturnal blossoming that vies with the brilliance of the stars.
Komatsunagi : one Cherry Blossom, one Legend!
Its name “Komatsunagi no Sakura” is actually a nickname. If translated literally into English, it means “the cherry tree to which one ties their horse.”
Two legends then clash over the origin of his surname.
In the first story, it is told that when this region was known as Lake Nuse, Otomo no Iemochi, the governor of the province, and other residents of the area used to leave their boats here and ride horses along the mountain road leading to Shioji in Noto, tying their horses to the large trunk of this tree.
The second is linked to the famous samurai Minamoto no Yoshitsune. It is said that during his frantic flight northward, it was at the foot of this very cherry blossom tree that he tethered his horse, finding momentary respite in its shade amidst a tumultuous existence (which ended badly, i.e., ritual suicide).
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