Weeping cherry trees bloom in Kamo Ohashi Bridge

　Someiyoshino cherry trees have blossomed in Tokyo and other parts of western Japan, and it is now time for cherry blossom viewing in Kyoto.
　Someiyoshino around the guesthouse are still only a few blossoms here and there, but it is expected to be in full bloom by the end of this week.
　The best place to visit at this time of year is the weeping cherry tree, which called shidarezakura in Japanese, at the west end of Kamo Ohashi Bridge. It blooms earlier than Someiyoshino and is crowded with people taking photos with the Kamo-ohashi Bridge and Mount Hiei in the background. Weeping cherry is a general term for cherry trees with soft, weeping branches, of which there are many varieties. It is characterised by the fact that the branches grow long before they become hard, so that gravity causes them to droop downwards. While someiyoshino cherry trees are said to have a lifespan of 60 years, weeping cherry trees are said to be as long as 300 years. Some weeping cherry trees are more than 1,000 years old, and because of their graceful appearance as they age beautifully, they are known in the language of flowers as graceful and mature beauties.