Good morning! The blooms are advancing! What will this week's cold snap do?! Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival February 14, 2026–March 29, 2026

The time has finally come!! Tsukigase’s major event that draws about 200,000 visitors over roughly three weeks!! The Tsukigase Plum Grove Plum Festival!! Tsukigase Plum Grove was designated as Japan’s first nationally recognized Place of Scenic Beauty!! We look forward to welcoming many visitors again this year!!

New Year Greetings Happy New Year. We sincerely thank you for your warm support and cooperation in promoting the charms of Tsukigase over the past year. Tsukigase, which has grown alongside its plum trees, reveals a new face with each season and has nurtured itself as a countryside that quietly soothes the hearts of its visitors. This year as well, we hope it remains a place where nature and people live side by side and calm exchanges flourish. The annual Tsukigase Baikei Plum Festival, which heralds the arrival of spring, will be held again this year. Some 13,000 plum trees paint the mountainside, and with river mist rising in the valleys, a scene like a page from a picture scroll unfolds. During the festival, you can stroll the walking trails and enjoy locally made specialties for sale, savoring peaceful moments close to nature. The gentle scent of plum blossoms swaying in the breeze will quietly restore energy to bodies and minds that have passed through a long winter. This year, the Tsukigase Tourism Association will continue to cherish warm connections with visitors while protecting the region’s attractions. We ask for your continued support, and we sincerely pray that the coming year will be peaceful and fruitful for everyone. With that, we offer our New Year greetings. Chairman: Toshiaki Nishioka Photo credit: Kuraya eto Shuji

Good morning ☀ #This morning in Tsukigase #Satoyama landscape #A village of flowers, greenery, and water #Autumn #I want to connect with people who love photography #Nara Prefecture #Nara City #Nara sightseeing

Good morning ☀ #Tsukigase this morning #Satoyama landscape #A village of flowers, greenery, and water #Autumn #Looking to connect with fellow photography lovers #Nara Prefecture #Nara City #Nara tourism

Good morning ☀ #This morning in Tsukigase #Satoyama landscape #A village of flowers, greenery, and water #Autumn #I want to connect with people who like photography #Nara Prefecture #Nara City #Nara tourism

I went to Ume Plum Blossom in Kawasale. It was a little late, but it was a nice place. Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture "Ume Plum Blossom in Kawasale" 2025/3

Good morning ☀ #This morning at Tsukigase #Satoyama landscape #Tsukigase Plum Valley #Nara #Nara sightseeing #Reiwa 7 Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival 2025/2/9–3/30 Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival! The trees are in full bloom! Weekdays are relatively peaceful and calm! Please come and visit♪ Photo: Yasunori Okamoto

A proverb that combines the dying moment of a samurai with the magnificent cherry blossoms in their waning moments. The flowers are cherry blossoms, the people are Samurai. For details on the most popular Hanami plans, please visit Osaka Castle Park 🌸Best time to visit Umegorin (plum grove) ➤ 2/ upper - 3/ middle Cherry blossoms (Someiyoshino) ➤3/15 - 5/up #samuraiarmor #kimono #Sakura #osakacastl

Tsukigase Plum Valley Ume Festival is now underway! Until March 23! The plum blossoms are beautiful with their buds together♪ They will be in full bloom from today through the final day! We look forward to welcoming many visitors!

Special Exhibition "Kamakura, Enoshima, Ooyama Walking the New Board Journey Sugoroku ~From the Early Modern Period to the Present~" Opens in 2025 This exhibit displays a travel sugoroku board (sugoroku) drawn as a roadside ukiyo-e game by Katsushika Hokusai in the late Edo period. Starting at Nihonbashi, the popular destinations of Kamakura, Enoshima, and Ooyama take center stage as the route circles through Shibuya for a roughly 40 ri 11 cho (about 157 km) journey over six nights and seven days. Each scene is explained in detail. Dates and Times: Sundays only from March 2 (Sun) to April 27 (Sun) 10:00–15:00 Free admission Venue: Ugaku Bunko Archive (on the grounds of the Yamaguchi family residence) 862-1 Kamikasuya, Isehara City Also running concurrently through this weekend for your enjoyment♬ *Plum Garden Open Free* Almost in full bloom✨ It's beautiful! Period: Through March 9 (Sun) *Hina doll display: final day only, March 9 (Sun) (10:00–15:00) (Adults ¥300, includes admission to the nationally registered Tangible Cultural Property Yamaguchi family residence)

Photographed on March 1: The ume plum trees at Atami Plum Garden are still in full bloom! Atami Plum Garden Ume Album https://www.ataminews.gr.jp/features/46...

A cold snap hits the Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival! The plum blossoms haven’t opened yet, but a spectacular bloom of snow flowers has appeared ❄️ Photo: Yasuki Okamoto

Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival is now underway! At Romantopia Tsukigase, Yumekko Cafeteria is open♪ At Romantopia Tsukigase, enjoy the proud "irori set" cooked over a sunken hearth: you grill Tsukigase-grown log shiitake mushrooms, homemade konnyaku, and yomogi rice dumplings over charcoal yourself! Cover them generously with our special yuzu miso and enjoy♪ We also recommend our udon dishes, made with carefully prepared dashi broth!! The meat udon features Iga beef plus shiitake, spinach, and thinly sliced mochi for a luxurious bowl! We carry many souvenirs not only from Tsukigase but from neighboring areas as well! A cold snap has arrived, so the plum blossoms still haven't opened much yet... For now, food beats flowers♪ When the blossoms are at their peak, every teahouse gets extremely crowded! Come now for the food while you can♪

The poster for the 2025 Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival is complete!! Each year, we select the gold‑prize photograph from the photo contest held during the festival period for the poster image. We hope many people will visit this year’s plum festival, take lots of photos, and make lasting memories of Tsukigase! From the early‑spring Tsukigase Marathon to the Spring Breeze Plum Village Friendship Festival and sencha tea festival at Romantopia Tsukigase, plus a haiku competition and Nara‑zome textile exhibition, the event lineup is packed with activities!! At the tea houses that open only during the festival, you can enjoy Tsukigase specialties you’ll find nowhere else: Tsukigase hot pot, country udon, wild boar hot pot, plum soft serve, charcoal‑grilled kusa‑mochi, plum roll cakes, and more! May many smiles bloom again this year! All members of the Tsukigase Tourism Association are working hard to prepare and look forward to your visit!

Aroma of Plum blossoms wafting in the clear winter air. Enjoy a moment in Kanagawa where you will be soothed by the pretty appearance that blooms in the cold. https://www.kanagawa-kankou.or.jp/theme_list/plum_2024...

Happy New Year. Warm New Year greetings from Tsukigase Plum Valley. Tsukigase Plum Valley lets you take in at a glance the plum blossoms and the gorge, with the plum seen as the harbinger of spring. Designated a Place of Scenic Beauty in 2020 and now marking 100 years, the Tsukigase Tourism Association, together with local residents, works to preserve this wonderful plum gorge so everyone can enjoy it. The “Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival,” starting on February 9, opens with the 40th Tsukigase Plum Valley Early Spring Marathon on its first day and runs through a variety of events up to the Spring Banquet on March 23, with preparations underway to welcome everyone. We ask that you visit Tsukigase Plum Valley, which we have spent a year preparing, and offer this as our New Year greeting. Noriaki Ida, President, Tsukigase Tourism Association

Baikoan Located in Tsukigase, Nara, Baikoan is Japan’s sole maker of karoubai (processed plum) that has preserved a production method passed down there for about seven hundred years without alteration. Karoubai refers to processed ume fruit, introduced to Nara as a medicine some 1,300 years ago by envoys to Sui and Tang China. Around seven hundred years ago, during the Nanbokucho period, it reached Tsukigase as a mordant for safflower dyeing. From the late Edo period through the early Meiji era, karoubai reached its heyday as a mordant for cosmetic red dye, and some 400 karoubai workshops operated, but demand plunged after the invention of chemical dyes. By the early Showa era only a few producers remained; after the war Baikoan became the sole manufacturer and continues to this day. Baikoan cultivates plums, rice, and vegetables and processes food across 30,000 square meters of verdant land and rich nature. Although the plums in Tsukigase were originally planted to make karoubai, the sight of plum trees in full bloom reflected on the valley and river of the Satsukigawa captivated people and made this area Japan’s first officially designated scenic spot. During the plum festival from February through the end of March, our shop offers dining and hanami from scenic box seats filled with the scent of plum. In Reiwa 6 (2024) we built the Nara Beni Workshop. This Japanese-style building incorporates traditional Japanese craftsmanship throughout. Inside the workshop, where you can feel delicate, advanced techniques and Japanese aesthetics, visitors can experience safflower dyeing using karoubai. We hope the experience becomes an opportunity to rediscover the wonders of Japanese culture. Watching the ever-changing colors of nature and the early-morning sea of clouds spreading across the Tsukigase valley can create the illusion of being in a plum paradise. Early spring light, tranquil fresh greens, the bounty of autumn, the scents of winter. We live and work with the seasons in the strict yet warm nature of Tsukigase.

~At Miharasou a special time flows~ Iga's finest ryotei A building that Mr. Chubei Soga of "Tomotada" carefully crafted with refined taste was relocated almost intact to this scenic spot in 1970 that structure is today's "Miharaso Annex" Away from everyday life inside this charming building time moves slowly slowly flows by Perched at the top of the valley, this annex offers a panorama that stretches as far as the eye can see "Scenic and picturesque" Within this annex you can enjoy a miso broth that brings out the ingredients' full flavor with shiitake mushrooms and vegetables from Tsukigase and boar meat chosen with the owner's exacting standards The specialty: botan nabe (wild boar hot pot) It has absolutely no unpleasant odor and is beloved by people of all ages a hugely popular delicacy We hope you will experience even once the blissful time woven by this building, the view, and the food Miharaso 78-2 Tsukigase Oyamacho, Nara City

Reiwa 6 Tsukigase Plum Valley Ume Festival Photo Contest Gold Prize Nobuko Nakamura "Tsukigase Wanpo" This will be the poster for next year’s Tsukigase Plum Valley Ume Festival! Thank you for many entries this year! We look forward to many visitors and many entries next year. All members of the Tsukigase Tourism Association await you!!

Hello to everyone watching Cool Japan Video! We are the Tsukigase Tourism Association. We will be sharing plenty of highlights of Tsukigase in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, so we hope you enjoy it! ◆◆◆ What and where Tsukigase in Nara City, Nara Prefecture is Tsukigase in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, sits at the easternmost edge of Nara Prefecture. It borders Minamiyamashiromura in Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Iga City in Mie Prefecture to the east, and Yamazoemura in Yamabe District to the south. With a population of about 1,200 as of April 2024, Tsukigase has a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. It is one of Japan’s premier plum blossom spots, and many visitors come when the plums are in full bloom. ◆◆◆ Access to Tsukigase in Nara City, Nara Prefecture ・Bus About 80 minutes from JR Nara Station to Tsukigase Bairin (Tsukigase Plum Grove). ・Car About 50 minutes to Tsukigase Bairin from the Nara direction. About 100 minutes to Tsukigase Bairin from the Kyoto direction. ◆◆◆ History of Tsukigase in Nara City, Nara Prefecture Tsukigase has long been known as a renowned plum site. In 1205, plum trees were planted on the grounds of Shimpukuji Temple in Oyama, and later in 1331 a court lady is said to have popularized a smoked plum called ubai, spreading its production in Tsukigase and leading to many plum plantings. The beautiful rows of plum trees in Tsukigase were designated as Japan’s first scenic spot in 1922. ◆◆◆ Popular sightseeing spots in Tsukigase in Nara City, Nara Prefecture ◇ Tsukigase Plum Valley (Tsukigase Bairin) About 10,000 plum trees line the Satsuki River gorge, painting the area in red and white. The plum blossoms reach full bloom from February through March each year, offering a spectacular sight. Walking trails are maintained along the valley, and about 200,000 visitors enjoy the blossoms annually. ◇ Lake Tsukigase Lake Tsukigase is an artificial lake formed by Takayama Dam, offering beautiful scenery through the seasons. Cherry blossoms in spring, fresh green in summer, autumn colors in fall, and snowy winter landscapes make it worth visiting year-round. Hiking courses surround the lake, making it ideal for hiking and cycling. ◇ Ume no Sato Tsukigase Onsen Ume no Sato Tsukigase Onsen is a hot spring facility set amid Tsukigase’s beautiful nature. From the onsen you can enjoy seasonal views, and the sight of plum trees in bloom in spring recalls its designation as Japan’s first scenic spot. From the open-air observatory baths you can take in a panoramic view of the Iga Basin for a truly indulgent moment. At the restaurant Ume Kokoro you can savor dishes made with local ingredients. ◇ Tsukigase Onsen Fureai Market The Fureai Market is a direct sales outlet offering fresh local produce and specialties. Yamato tea and umeboshi (pickled plums), Tsukigase’s specialties, are particularly popular. It’s a great place to look for Tsukigase souvenirs. ◇ Romantopia Tsukigase Romantopia Tsukigase is a comprehensive facility where you can fully enjoy Tsukigase’s nature. It offers camping and barbecue facilities, making it ideal for families and groups. You can also try experiences like tea picking and hand-rolling tea, making konnyaku and mochi pounding, making black tea, and participating in traditional craft workshops. ◇ Lakeside Village Tsukigase Lakeside Village Tsukigase is a tourism facility surrounded by majestic nature, hosting events throughout the year such as the plum festival, cherry blossom festival, new tea festival, autumn leaves festival, and giant pumpkin festival. The direct sales shop sells fresh local produce. The cafeteria’s daily special set meal, made with local vegetables and homemade care, is very popular. ◆◆◆ Events and festivals in Tsukigase in Nara City, Nara Prefecture ◇ Tsukigase Plum Festival The Tsukigase Plum Festival, held at Tsukigase Plum Valley from February through March each year, draws many visitors. Various events take place at venues including the Tsukigase Plum Museum. Please enjoy the roughly 10,000 vivid red and white plum trees. ◆◆◆ Local specialties of Tsukigase in Nara City, Nara Prefecture ◇ Yamato tea Tsukigase has long been known as a producing area for Yamato tea. Grown on the Yamato Plateau at about 400 meters elevation, Yamato tea is prized for its clean flavor and lovely aroma. ◇ Umeboshi (pickled plums) Tsukigase offers many plum-based products such as ume shiso rolls, plum chocolate, and plum syrup. Among them, Tsukigase’s umeboshi are celebrated for their rich flavor and health benefits and have been loved by many for generations. ◆◆◆ Tourism information for Tsukigase in Nara City, Nara Prefecture Tsukigase in Nara City, Nara Prefecture is a region colored by beautiful nature and a rich history. Especially in spring, the spectacular sight of the plum blossoms in full bloom is one everyone should see. We will share more great deals and information about sightseeing in Tsukigase, Nara City, Nara Prefecture on Cool Japan Video, so please follow us! Photo credit: Yasunori Okamoto

A scene at Yuki Shrine in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture. Since many Umejiro visit the Yuki Shrine every year, many photographers were visit this year as well. I've had a relationship with Umejiro since last year, and I was able to take a picture of it again this year. It just so happened that I got a line of sight when I clicked the shutter, so it was my favorite one. It has become a piece that feels dignified from the cute Umejiro. ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊ Shooting location: Yuki Shrine, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture Shooting date and time: February 24, 2024 10:00 ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

The city today The Ume Plum Ume Plum Shrine is in full bloom.

【Osaka Castle Ume Plum Park】 February 23, 2024 Flowering Information: Except for the weather, it is a cherry blossom viewing day Osaka Castle Umegorin Park 2/23/2024 Flowering information: Cherry blossom viewing day except for the weather

【大阪城 梅林公園】 昨日➡2024年2/22 開花情報：全ての品種が見頃 samuraihonor.com Osaka Castle Umegorin Park Yesterday ➡ 2/22/2024 Flowering information: All varieties are in full bloom.

Isehara Flower Report 2.19 A rainy day in Isehara. With the mild weather, flowers are starting to bloom all over. - Kawazu-zakura along Shibutagawa River…starting to bloom - Kawazu-zakura at Maruyama Castle Park…in full bloom - Plum trees at the Sports Park…in full bloom - Plum trees at Hinata Yakushi…about half bloomed - Okame-zakura along Oyama Shinmichi…buds The forecast doesn’t look great this week, so I worry whether the flowers will hold out until the next sunny day, but let’s hope we can take photos under a blue sky!

Kamakura Thirteen Buddhist Pilgrimage Executive Committee] The 13th 2024 Ume Plum Kamakura Special Visit Notice During the period from February 14 Wednesday to March 27 Wednesday, 2024, temples and shrines in Kamakura will Implementation special worship [limited number of people by application], [no application required = first-come, first-served worship reception on the day], [free worship without application], and [Kamakura 13 Buddha pilgrimage with monks]. Why don't you touch the charm of temples and shrines that are different from usual in Kamakura in early spring with the scent of Ume plums? Temples and shrines marked with "Application required" can only be visited by those who have applied a participation certificate will be sent. Please note that temples and shrines that say "Reception on the day" also have a capacity. Special visits to Kaizoji Temple are free to visit, so there is no capacity. ） * Application for participation in "Special Worship by Application" is only a round-trip postcard. * The application deadline is 8 days before each event date round-trip postcards will be sent to the Executive Committee. * Please refrain from making inquiries to each temple and shrine.

Yugawara Ume Plum Forest "Ume Plum Festival" held! !! Japan's largest Yugawara Ume Plum Forest was created by taking advantage of the beautiful nature at the foot of the majestic Makuyama Mountain, which is also a geosite. In the Yugawara Ume Plum Forest, about 4,000 red Ume Plum and White Ume Plum trees bloom like a "Ume Plum Carpet", and the park is enveloped in a faint Ume Plum scent. The sight of the whole area filled with red and white Ume plums will take your breath away. 【Period】2024 Reiwa 6 February 3 Sat ~ March 10 Sun 【Venue】Makuyama Park 【Admission fee】 200 yen 15 years old and over *excluding junior high school students * Guests who stay lodging nights at a lodging-night facility in the town may be able to enter the park free of charge. Please check with the lodging facility. ） * Free even if you present your Yugawara Town Resident ID.

[Odawara Flower Garden] 2024 Gather! Kimono girls! ~In the garden where Ume plum blossoms bloom, she transforms into a "kimono girl"~ You can easily wear a kimono with our kimono rental and dressing service. Family and friends are also welcome! On the day of the event, there is also a great service for those who come to the park in a kimono! Please ♪ enjoy the Ume Plum Garden, which boasts the largest number of varieties in the Kanto region, and the arrival of Spring to your heart's content in gorgeous Japanese attire

[Odawara Flower Garden] 2024 Ume Plum Festival ~About 300 varieties and 500 plum trees are in full bloom~ The "Ume Plum Garden of the Mountain Stream" is a colorful Ume Plum Garden that boasts the largest number of varieties in the Kanto region, with about 500 Ume plum trees of about 300 varieties planted from early to late blooming. This year's theme is "The Shape of Flowers ~The Individual Charm Created by Petals~". Here are the differences in the shape of the flowers and the way they bloom for each variety. Please enjoy the beauty of the delicate Ume plum. In 2024, keep an eye on Ume Plum! This year's theme is "Red Ume Plum ~Bright Flower Ume Plum~", and we will focus on Ume Plum. The difference between "red Ume plum" and "white Ume plum" is not the color of the flower, but the color of the pith when the trunk of the tree is cut. This year, we will focus on surprisingly unknown ways to distinguish them and the characteristics of "Ume Plum". Please enjoy the charm of "Red Ume Plum" at the quiz rally and explanation board set up in the Ume Plum Garden.