Matabe Sakura (Hongo's Waterfall Cherry)
Visit a single old weeping cherry whose spring cascade is famous, while planning around a very brief and changing bloom.
AI-generated visual study · not a documentary photographDiscover Matabe Sakura (Hongo's Waterfall Cherry)
This large shidare-zakura in Ouda-Hongo is known both as Matabe Sakura and Hongo-no-Takizakura, the 'waterfall cherry'. Uda City describes it as about thirteen metres tall, with a trunk circumference over three metres, and says it may be around three hundred years old. Its Matabe name is linked to a local tale about the warrior Goto Matabei and the former Goto residence site; the association is a legend rather than proof that the samurai planted or owned the tree. It is an outdoor, highly seasonal visit, not a year-round flower display.
See a living landmark, not an event venue
The tree's long hanging branches give the flower display its waterfall comparison. The city places it in Hongo on the western side of Ouda and uses the name Hongo-no-Takizakura as well as Matabe Sakura. Its quoted age is an estimate. The site can still be located outside blossom season, but the experience then is a living tree in a rural landscape rather than the pale-pink canopy shown in spring photographs.
Understand the Matabe story carefully
Local tradition connects the name to Goto Matabei, a Sengoku-period warrior, and a former Goto-family residence. That story is part of why the tree is remembered, but Uda City's visitor description calls it a legend. Avoid treating it as a documented battlefield, grave, or residence tour. The visible subject is the cherry itself and its setting.
Check live bloom reports
The city gives late March to early April as the broad usual blossom season, but actual dates shift with weather. In 2026 its log recorded full bloom on 1 April and leaves by 10 April. Those dates document one year only: they cannot predict 2027. Use Uda City's current bloom page shortly before travel; on a peak weekend also check any temporary traffic control or crowd instructions.
Budget for seasonal arrangements, not a permanent ticket
The 2026 city bulletin listed a ¥100 cooperation contribution during the cherry festival, private paid parking around ¥500 and no illumination at Matabe Sakura that year. These were season-specific conditions, not confirmed future rates or nightly opening. The ordinary outdoor tree has no fixed building opening hours published in the city venue page. For the next bloom season, verify the latest festival, parking, contribution and after-dark policy instead of relying on the previous year's figures.
Allow a separate walk from Ouda
Uda City directs public-transport visitors to the Ouda-bound bus from Kintetsu Haibara Station, about twenty minutes to the terminus, followed by roughly twenty minutes on foot. The prefectural English listing mentions 'Kintetsu Kashihara Station' for this bus, which conflicts with Uda City's Haibara route; use the municipality and current Nara Kotsu timetable. The rural approach can have local traffic and uneven edges, especially when busy. Do not expect the road-station bus stop to put you at the tree itself.
What to look for
Old weeping cherry nicknamed the Waterfall Cherry
Local Goto Matabei legend, clearly distinguished from documented history
Spring bloom best planned with the city's live reports
Photo notes
No city or prefectural cherry-tree image is licensed for MyNara. Photograph from public or designated viewing areas without stepping into farmland, obstructing walkers or blocking traffic. Drone and commercial-shoot permissions have not been verified; obtain landholder and authority approval before either.
Make a day of it
Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.
Sources & editorial status
Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 20 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.