'A Reminder That Nature Is Strong': In Japan, A 1,000-Year-Old Cherry Tree Blooms
For now, the coronavirus pandemic has stopped tourists from visiting the ancient tree in Fukushima prefecture. "No matter what," says the tree's caretaker, "the cherry blossoms are still there."
As winter turned to spring in the town of Miharu, Japan, a small group of workers pounded posts into the ground to lay a grand pathway at the base of a giant cherry tree. It was the same path they've laid every year, wide enough to give thousands of tourists a chance to walk up and marvel at the ancient tree, as its cascading branches fill with delicate pink flowers dipping toward the ground.
But with the coronavirus pandemic taking
