Shizuku no Sakura
The Shizuku no Sakura (“Dewdrop Cherry”) tree is located near the site of Gosoan, Nichiren’s hut on Mt. Minobu. The tree is estimated to be around 700 years old and is thus one of the oldest blossoming cherry trees in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Here is the story behind this ancient tree. Gosoan was the hut where Nichiren spent most of his eight years on Mt. Minobu. It is where he ate, slept, and wrote his treasured works. It is also where he tutored his disciples and gave sermons. Near Gosoan, a man named Inababo lived in a village called Shimoyama-go. Inababo heard about Nichiren and his disciples and would go to Gosoan every night to listen to his teachings. According to the legend, Inababo hid behind the cherry trees near Nichiren’s home in order to listen to his sermons.
Inababo would listen late into the night, so late that the evening dewdrops from the cherry tree would fall onto his clothes. Thus, the Shizuku no Sakura tree was given its name, and Inababo eventually became one of Nichiren’s closest disciples.
Also near the tree is the Gobyosho, which holds a portion of Nichiren Shonin’s ashes. For those coming to Mt. Minobu to view the cherry blossoms, the Shizuku no Sakura and the 400-year-old weeping cherry trees of Kuonji Temple are among the main attractions.