A single tree becomes a local landmark

A single weeping cherry blossom tree in Fukuoka Prefecture's Kitakyushu area has such a strong following it has a small festival devoted to it. It was planted about 80 years ago by a woman who wanted to remember her late brother. The family looked after it and mowed the grass surrounding the tree as it grew taller — and neighbors began to help. Before long it was a local landmark. This spring, without the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic, people gathered once again to celebrate the tree's beauty for the first time in four years.