See cherry trees over 1,000 years old
Yamataka Jindai-zakura, Neodani Usuzumi-zakura and Miharu Takizakura are known as Japan's three great cherry trees, each thought to be more than 1,000 years old. Standing under their massive trunks and long branches held up on wooden props, you can see how people have cared for them over many centuries. They usually bloom between late March and April, but the dates change every year, so check the bloom forecast before you go.
An Edo higan cherry, a long-lived wild species, thought to be about 2,000 years old, with a trunk 11.8 meters around, in the grounds of Jissoji temple in Hokuto, Yamanashi. Its low, spreading branches rest on wooden props, and daffodils bloom around it at the same time. The bus to the temple has stopped running, so take a taxi from Nirasaki or Hinoharu Station, about two hours from Shinjuku by train.
A huge cherry tree in the Neo Valley of Gifu, more than 1,500 years old, whose blossoms open pale pink and fade almost to grey before they fall, the color of thin ink, or usuzumi, that gives it its name. Its massive trunk and sprawling branches are held up by many supports. Viewing is free, and it is about a 15-minute walk from Tarumi Station, at the end of the Tarumi Railway from Ogaki.
A weeping cherry in Miharu, Fukushima, thought to be over 1,000 years old, whose branches pour down like a waterfall, which is what takizakura means. It stands on a gentle slope among the fields, so you can walk around it and see it from below and above. It blooms a little later than in Tokyo; in season a bus runs from Miharu Station, and arriving early in the morning helps you avoid the crowds.