Shidare Sakura along the lake shores at Heian Jingu, Kyoto

Because of its drooping shape, similar to the willow tree, the shidare variant of sakura cherry tree is often planted along the pond shores of the Japanese gardens.

A tree that looks great in all seasons, shidare sakura becomes spectacular when it's blooming, during the cherry blossom period, as you can see in today's photo taken inside the Higashi Shin'en (East Garden) of the Heian Shrine, in Kyoto.