Cherry Blossoms Mt. Yaedake — Attraction in Motobu

January is probably the best month of the year for viewing Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) on this mountain. Coronavirus restrictions reduced the amount of travelers this year but, it still got plenty of traffic during the weekends. Even off-season, the hillside is great for hiking, photography and observing nature. There are plenty of roadside parking spots, where you can pull over and get away from obstructing traffic. It's quite a stretch between facilities for toilets and vending machines so, I would recommend driving the entire moutain before, deciding to tackle the hike. It is handicapped and stroller friendly providing, you are in good shape. Pets may go along with you but, must be on a leash and owners are responsible for cleaning up after them. HINT:...

A cherry blossom is a flower of many trees of genus Prunus. The most well-known species is the Japanese cherry, Prunus serrulata, which is commonly called "sakura". The typical lifespan of sakura chrysanthemums is 10-14 days. They bud, bloom, and wilt in this short span.

The sakura species in Okinawa is called Ryukyu Kanhizakura. At the place where we were, there were more than 7000 of Ryukyu Kanhizakura from the foot to the top.

These are photos that were taken in late...

Sakura blooms here from late January to Mid February- and it is always really pretty. Probably the best spot in the whole of Okinawa to view cherry blossoms. There are multiple parking lots on the way up and I highly suggest parking and taking small walks up the mountain to take photos. For a longer hike consider parking at the Sakuramori park and walking ~35 minutes up, but if not there are still more places to park and walk...