Plum Viewing in Nara
- NARA Visitor Center & Inn
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
Born in the depths of winter, Japanese plum blossom symbolizes vitality, hope and renewal. The plum has and continues to play an important role in Japanese culture. They remind us that the promise of spring is just around the corner.
Originating around the Yangtze River in the south of China, the plum tree was introduced to Japan over 1300 years ago and plum blossom viewing soon became a popular past time of the nobility during the Nara period (710–794) until the Heian period (794–1185) when the cherry blossom was preferred.
There are several plum groves in Nara that have breathtaking views, but there's no getting away from the fact that February in Nara can be bitterly cold. Luckily, there are some indoor plum bonsai plum exhibitions to enjoy.
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Sugawara Tenmangu Plum Bonsai Exhibition
15 minute walk south of Yamato Saidaiji Station, located just around the corner from Kikou-ji Temple, lies Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine, a small shrine with a simplistic charm.
Every year from early February to early March they hold a plum bonsai exhibition showcasing over 150 trees. Half of the exhibition is outdoor, the other half, which is more impressive, is indoors.
The outdoor exhibition snakes back and forth to the side of the main hall and culminates at the at the entrance of the indoor exhibition.
The whole hall is full of the wonderful fragrance of plum blossoms.
The exhibition is open from 9:00 - 16:00 daily and costs ¥500 to enter.
Plum trees in bloom lack the volume of their sakura counterparts, but as these pictures hopefully attest, plum blossoms are just as beautiful.
Tenmangu & Plums
All across Japan, there are literally hundreds of shrines with "Tenmangu" in their names and any such shrine is dedicated to the sprit of Sugawara no Michizane. Michizane was a scholar born in 845 in Kyoto and famed for his love of plums trees, poetry skills and his ultimate exile.
Once a high ranking government officer, Michizane was demoted and finally exiled due to the slander and deceit of his rivals in the Fujiwara clan. Despite the subsequent hardships, Michizane continued his scholarly pursuits with the aim of preserving his character.
After Michizane's death, a succession of plague, drought, rainstorms, floods and sudden royal deaths rocked the nation. These were attributed to the angry spirit of Michizane. To appease his vengeful soul, the imperial court built a Shinto shrine in Kyoto, called it Kitano Tenman-gū and dedicated it to him. His title and office were posthumously restored and he was eventually deified as Tenjin-sama, or kami of scholarship.
The many shrines around Japan dedicated to him are beacons for young students praying for success in their exams and decorate their grounds with plum trees to honour him.
Here is one of Michizane's famous poems written in 901, just before his exile. In it, he expresses his deep sorrow at no longer being able to admire the plum trees in his Kyoto residence.
When the east wind blows,
flourish in full bloom, you plum blossoms!
Even though without your master don't be oblivious to spring.
東風（こち）吹かば
にほひ（匂い）おこせよ
梅の花
主（あるじ）なしとて
春を忘るな
Access:
Address: 1-chome-15-1 Sugaharahigashi, Nara, 631-0842
Tel: 0742-45-3576
Hours: 9:00 - 16:00
The shrine is about a 20 minute walk form Kintetsu Yamato Saidaiji Station and has a small free car park which is big enough for only 3 cars.
Koriyama Castle Plum Bonsai Exhibition
Koriyama Castle is located at the center of the Nara Basin. The first record of a fortification dates from the late 10th century and was once ruled by Toyotomi Hideyoshi's younger brother, Hidenaga, who expanded the castle to have the prestige suitable of the family name. In 2017 , it was listed as one of the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles and five years later, it was designated a National Historic Site. The cherry trees within the castle grounds have been selected as one of the "100 Best Cherry Blossom Spots in Japan."
The Koriyama Castle Plum Bonsai Exhibition has a history stretching 2 decades. The castle grounds already boast an array of plum and sakura trees which have long enticed local people to visit in their droves during the spring. Now, visitors can also enjoy an impressive collection on plum bonsai trees inside the castle keep. A very rare treat, even for Japan.
The exhibition extends through 2 buildings, with the final building housing a few bonsai trees over 2m in height. When leaving the final exhibition building, there is an outside area where you can get a free warm cup of tea and peruse the popup stalls selling plum bonsai trees and local produce such as vegetables and honey.
Within the grounds there is also a 'Sky Platform' which offers a nice view of the city. You can see as far as Yakushi-ji Temple, Mt. Wakakusa and southwards over the Nara basin.
Entrance into the castle grounds is free, but there is a charge for the exhibition. It's ¥500 yen for adults and free for kids under elementary school age.
The castle is just a 10 minute walk from Kintetsu Yamato Koriyama Station and the castle also has a a small car park that is free to use, with approximately enough space for 7 or 8 cars.
Access:
Address: 2-255 Jonai-cho, Yamatokoriyama, Nara 639-1011
Tel: 0743-53-1151
Hours: 7:00 - 17:00
The castle is a 5 minute walk from Kintetsu Yamatokoriyama Station and has a small free car park which is big enough for about 8 cars.
Tsukigase Plum Grove
Nara’s most famous plum blossom grove, however, is out in the countryside, namely the Tsukigase Plum Grove. (月ヶ瀬梅林).
Along the Satsukigawa River Valley, some 10,000 vibrant red and white plum trees spread across the slopes, forming the scenic area known as “Tsukigase Plum Grove.” This plum grove is the heart of an annual Plum Festival that has become a beloved regional event, drawing many visitors each year. Because there are so many different varieties, you can enjoy the changing scenery week by week—from the very first blossoms, to the 30%, 50%, and 70% bloom stages, all the way through to full bloom.
One of Japan's first Designated Places of Scenic Beauty:
The grove was officially designated in 1922 (Taisho 11) as a national Place of Scenic Beauty under Japan’s Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty, and Natural Monuments system, making it one of the earliest such designations in the country.
The festival is typically held from mid‑February to late March, with the “10,000 plum trees in bloom” look peaking in late February to early March, though exact timing depends on the winter climate
Access:
Address: Tsukigaseoyama, Nara, 630-2302
Access to Tsukigase is either by car or bus from JR Nara or Kintetsu Station. From JR west exit, catch the No. 94 or 95 bus. The nearest stop to the tourist office is Tsukisebashi (月瀬橋) near the bridge but you can also view a walking map online.
Yakushi-ji Temple
About 1,300 years ago, Emperor Tenmu founded Yakushi-ji Temple to pray for the recovery of his consort, who later became Empress Jitō. After her accession, the temple rose in Fujiwara‑kyo, present‑day Kashihara. When the capital moved to Heijō‑kyō, Yakushiji was moved to its current site in 718, and there it has stood ever since. Over the centuries, fire claimed nearly all its original halls and towers. Today, only the East Pagoda, a National Treasure, remains from that first white‑faced age. Everything else has been carefully rebuilt over the past few decades to match the grandeur of the original Hakuho‑period complex.
In 1998, the temple entered the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.” In recent years, its iconic East Pagoda underwent a 12‑year dismantling and restoration, completed in February 2021. The work returned it to its elegant, almost musical form, a structure often called “frozen music.”
In term of flowers, Yakushi-ji Temple is best known for being part of Nara's Lotus Road, but the temple also harbors a relatively unknown, hidden spot for plum viewing. With some paths leading up to the temple also lined with red and white plum trees, there are approximately 100 trees in and around the complex.
Access:
Address: 457, Nishinokyo-cho, Nara city
18 minutes by bus from JR Nara and Kintetsu Nara Stations. Get off at "Yakushi-ji" bus stop. Immediately in front of Kintetsu Nishi-no-Kyo Station.
Hours: 9:00 – 17:00 (Last entry 16:30)
Fee: ¥1,000
Ano Plum Grove
Around 20,000 plum trees cover the hills of Ano, from the foot up the slopes, making Ano Plum Grove one of Nara’s most celebrated plum groves. From late February through late March, the blossoms open like a sea of white and pale pink, spreading a soft, sweet fragrance across the valley.
Ano sits in Gojo City, Nara, in the lower reaches of the Nibugawa valley, once the site of the Southern Court’s imperial residence during the Nanboku-cho period (1336 to 1392) These trees are part of Nara’s “Three Great Plum Groves,” and the area is also famous for its fruit orchards, especially persimmons, which are among the largest producers in Japan.
Historical poems from the 14th century show that plum trees were already admired here centuries ago. Cultivation for fruit began around 1877, and in 1923, 5,000 saplings were planted to commemorate the marriage of the Crown Prince (later Emperor Showa), cementing the area’s fame as the Ano Plum Grove. The grove is divided into three main sections — Kuchi no Sennbon, Nishi no Sennbon, and Oku no Sennbon — with slightly staggered flowering times, so there’s usually some plum blossom to enjoy throughout the season.
Access:
Address: Nishiyoshinocho Hokusogi, Gojo, Nara 637-0115
From JR Gojo Station, take bus No. 1, 2, 3, 5, or 10 bound for Ano Wadakita and get off at Ano Wada Kitaguchi (賀名生和田北口) It’s a 3‑minute walk from there.
Nara Park Kataoka Plum Grove
Kataoka Plum Grove is the first place in Nara Park where spring shows its face. Around 250 plum trees bloom here – some red, some white. The area is known as Kataoka, so the grove took its name from the place.
When the plums here are in full bloom, the cherry blossoms are not far behind and this is the spot in the park where spring arrives earliest. A short walk to the south, across Sagi-ike Pond, the hexagonal pavilion Ukimido floats quietly on the water, adding to the quiet, contemplative mood of the place.
The grove lies in the eastern part of Asajigahara in Nara Park, just off the main approach to Kasuga Taisha, near the first torii gate. From there, head toward the ryokan Edosan and the grove will appear. Early spring brings the plums into full glory, with bright red and soft white blossoms opening above the paths and lawns, the air filled with the faint, sweet scent of plum.
Trees usually begin to bloom around mid‑February, and peak from late February to mid‑March.
Because different varieties open at slightly different times, there is almost always something to see over several weeks. The grove is a quiet counterpoint to the busy deer grounds and the main tourist spots.
Access:
Address: 1149 Takabatake-cho, Nara, 630-8301
From JR or Kintetsu Nara Station, take the city loop bus to the stop “Kasuga Taisha Omotedaimon” and walk in about five minutes. 15 min walk from Kintetsu Nara Station. The area is free to walk through, any time. Plenty of paid lots nearby.
Hirohashi Plum Grove
Plums came to Japan from China, not for their fruit, but for their healing properties. Over centuries, their fragrant and delicate blossoms became beloved. In the days of the Man'yoshu, when poets sang of flowers, they meant plum, not cherry. There are now hundreds of cultivated varieties, each with its own color, its own number of petals. And still, the fruit remains a taste of Japan. In Hirohashi Plum Grove, some 5,000 trees, including the prized "Shirokaga," yield fruit that carries the region’s character.
Hirohashi is one of Nara’s three great plum groves, alongside Tsukigase and Kanano. The blossoms begin to open in late February, reaching their peak by late March. Spread over 25 hectares on the northern slope of Hirohashi Pass, the grove is a tapestry of white, red, pale pink, single and double petals.
The view stretches to Mt. Kongo, Mt. Katsuragi, and the Nara Basin. Even in early summer, when green plums ripen, the grove rewards the visitor. Well-maintained trails invite a leisurely hike. Every year in mid-March, the Hirohashi Plum Grove Festival draws crowds.
At the summit is where the Hirohashi castle is believed to have once stood. This was the stronghold of the Hirohashi clan, supporters of the Southern Court in medieval times. The trail to the top is steep, as mountain castles often are, and the climb brings both panorama and a sense of the past.
Scattered houses dot the mountainside, making it possible to drive up and wander through the grove at your own pace. Two walking courses are marked. The Plum Grove Course runs about 2.5 km one way, taking roughly 40 minutes. It begins at Hirohashi Pass Bus Stop and leads to Gojo Onsen Akitsuso. Here, you’ll walk through a "plum grove village," where people and nature have long shared the same ground. The Tenshu-no-Mori Course is shorter, about 1.2 km round trip taking around 30 minutes. From Hirohashi Pass Bus Stop (453m), you ascend steeply 150m to "Tenshu no Mori." The scenery from this spot is unforgettable. Deep in the grove, a thousand plum trees wait.
Access:
Address: Hirohashi, Shimoichi, Yoshino District, Nara 638-0015
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