# Matabei-zakura

> A single weeping cherry in the hamlet of Hongo, Uda, said to be about 300 years old, 13 metres tall and over 3 metres round the trunk. It stands on a stone wall where, local tradition says, the warrior Goto Matabei spent his last years. It usually blooms from late March to early April, and outside those weeks there is nothing to come for. Expect photographers before sunrise and full car parks on weekends.

- Prefecture: Nara
- Type: Park
- Address: Uda, Nara, Japan
- Official site: https://www.uda-kankou.jp/navigation/1338

There is one tree here, and that is the whole visit. Matabei-zakura is a weeping cherry growing out of a stone wall in Hongo, a farming hamlet on the edge of Ouda in Uda City. The Uda tourism association puts it at about 300 years old, 13 metres tall and more than 3 metres round the trunk, and the branches come down in a curtain that explains its other name, Hongo no Taki-zakura, the waterfall cherry of Hongo.

The name comes from Goto Matabei, a samurai who fought for the Toyotomi side in the sieges of Osaka in 1614 and 1615. The story told in Uda is that he escaped, became a monk and lived out his life here, and the tree stands where the Goto family house is said to have been. Most histories have him dying in battle in 1615, and a 300-year-old tree would have been planted long after him anyway, so take the legend as a legend. The tree's wider fame is more recent: it appeared in the opening titles of the NHK historical drama Aoi: Tokugawa Sandai in 2000.

It usually blooms from late March to early April, and the window is short. Peach trees behind it often flower at the same time, which is where the pink-on-pink photos come from. The local cherry festival runs through the season, and a 100 yen maintenance contribution is collected at the tree.

The downsides are crowds and timing. Photographers set up before sunrise, and on fine weekends the private car parks around the hamlet fill early. There is no evening light-up: the tree is on private land and people live around it, so keep to the paths and keep your voice down. Come on a weekday morning if you can.

The Uda Matsuyama merchant town is about 20 minutes' walk away, back past the Ouda bus stop, so the two make an easy half day in spring.

## FAQ

### When does Matabei-zakura bloom?

Usually from late March to early April, but the exact week moves with the weather. The Uda tourism association posts the bloom status on its Uda cherry blossom page each spring, so check it before you set off.

### Is there an entry fee?

There is no ticket, but during the cherry festival a 100 yen maintenance contribution is collected at the tree. Car parks are run privately and charge around 500 yen.

### Is the tree lit up at night?

No. The tree is on private land in a residential hamlet, and the tourism association says there is no light-up. Early morning is the time photographers favour.

### Did Goto Matabei really live here?

That is the local tradition: that he escaped the fall of Osaka, became a monk in Uda and died here. Most accounts say he was killed in battle in 1615. The tree itself is said to be about 300 years old, so it was not around in his lifetime either way.

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Source: Matabei-zakura — Japan Voyage