Long ago, locals in the village of Toaka planted around 100 oyamazakura on the mountainside, in part to bring them a welcome harbinger of spring after the deep blanket snow that falls in winter. The sakura paint the mountainside in splashes of deep pink and are also a sign to local farmers that it’s time to plant this year’s crops. Visitors can enjoy the pastoral beauty and the Yamazakura Festival held every spring.