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Located in Yame city, Fukuoka prefecture, the 600-year-old Kurogi no Ofuji wisteria tree has so many flowers it even warrants its own festival. The namesake Yame Kurogi Wisteria Festival takes place every spring, but due to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, this year's event has been cancelled.
Unfortunately, that didn't stop people from going to see the monumental tree as it neared full bloom. The annual festival usually receives up to 200,000 visitors a year, and – despite people being told to avoid unnecessary outings – roughly 1,000 visitors a day have been flocking to see the tree over the last few weekends.
Not just the tulips in Chiba. The wisteria at Kurogi no Ofuji in Fukuoka have also been cut back to stop crowds gathering to view them. https://t.co/RTYcfzWZBt pic.twitter.com/izSeeKE29L
— Mulboyne (@Mulboyne) April 29, 2020
To stop crowds from gathering over the Golden Week holiday, the tree's weeping flowers were clipped on April 28. This comes just a week after the Sakura Tulip Festival in Chiba also decided to cut down its 800,000 tulips after visitors ignored warnings and continued to tour the area.
【速報】福岡県八女市の「黒木の大藤」。刈り取りが行われています。 pic.twitter.com/IGtzQAvcAs
— 西日本新聞社 久留米総局 (@kurumesoukyoku) April 28, 2020
As sad as it is to see these flowers taken down in their prime, it's a necessary action to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
If you wish to see the wisteria tree in all its glory, the town of Kurogi (home to the wisteria tree) has an official website offering a 360-degree panoramic view of the wisteria from a previous season. You can access the virtual tour here.
Spend more Time In
Take a virtual tour of Hitachi Seaside Park