Yoshino, Nara

Infobox City Japan
Name= Yoshino
JapaneseName= 吉野町
Map

Region= Kansai
Prefecture= Nara Prefecture
District= Yoshino District
Area_km2= 95.96
PopDate= September 1, 2007
Population= 9397
Density_km2= 97.93
Coords= coord|34|24|N|135|51|E|region:JP_type:city
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Flower=
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SymbolDescription=
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CityHallPostalCode= 639-3192
CityHallAddress= 80-1 Ōaza Kamiichi, Yoshino-machi, Yoshino-gun, Nara-ken
CityHallPhone= 639-3192
CityHallLink= [http://www.town.yoshino.nara.jp/ Town of Yoshino]

nihongo|Yoshino|吉野町|Yoshino-chō is a town located in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan.

As of September 1 2007, the town had an estimated population of 9397 and a density of 97.93 persons per km². The total area was 95.65 km².

Mt. Yoshino is famous for its many thousands of sakura trees. These flowering specimen trees were planted in four groves at different altitudes, in part so that the famed trees would come into bloom at different times of the spring. A 1714 account explained that, on their climb to the top, travelers would be able to enjoy the lower 1,000 cherry trees at the base, the middle 1,000 on the way, the upper 1,000 toward the top, and the 1,000 in the precincts of the inner shrine at the top. [ [http://jpimg.digital.archives.go.jp/kouseisai/category/emaki/yoshinoyama_e.html Kaibara Ekiken. (1714). "Yoshinoyama syokeizu."] ]

For adherents of Shugendo, Yoshino is also the traditional beginning of the Mount Omine pilgrimage trail, though nowadays it is more common for hikers to begin and end their trek from the Dorogawa district of Tenkawa Village.

Geography

Located in the northern portion of Yoshino District, the majority of the town is covered by mountains. However, places along the Yoshino River are rather flatter than the other areas, where many roads, train tracks, and houses exist.

* Mountains: Mount Yoshino
* Rivers: Yoshino River
* Lakes: Lake Tsuburo

urrounding municipalities

* Nara Prefecture
** Asuka
** Sakurai
** Higashiyoshino
** Kawakami
** Kurotaki
** Shimoichi
** Ōyodo
** Uda

Notable places

* Yoshino-Kumano National Park
* Yoshino Shrine
* Miyataki (waterfall)
* Kinpusen Temple
* Yoshimizu Shrine
* Sakuramotobō
* Yoshinomikumari Shrine
* Nyoirin Temple

References

External links

* [http://www.town.yoshino.nara.jp/ Yoshino town Official Site]
* Kansai Digital Archives [http://www.kiis.or.jp/kansaida/yoshino/yoshino06-e.html ...Images of Yoshino-cho]
* National Archives of Japan [http://jpimg.digital.archives.go.jp/kouseisai/category/emaki/yoshinoyama_e.html "Yoshinoyama syokeizu," illustrated scroll describing Mt. Yoshino, text by Kaibara Ekiken (circa 1714)]