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Plum Blossom Viewing in Kyoto
Bright signs of spring in the Old Capital


Seeing the plum blossoms
I wait for the song of the warbler
Spring has come
Veiled in mist

Izumi Shikibu (circa 1000)



Many will say that sakura (cherry) blossoms are their favorite flowers of year. However, there are also many who would choose the ume or plum flower over all. Plum trees were introduced to Japan from China in the 8th century. Of the 300 species of plum tree in Japan, the single most common is the Japanese apricot. Originally, the most prized tree in the inner court of the Imperial Palace was the plum.

Plum trees can become very old and their very shape is exotic. The flowers have a strong, sweet smell (unlike the cherry blossom) that attracts bees without fail. The falling petals of white plum flowers can be delightfully confused with falling snow.

The plum is also said to be the favorite resting place for the rarely seen but much heard uguisu (Japanese nightingale), harbinger of spring. Plum blossoms can be a deep red or white. These are the colors of celebration and happiness in Japan. Nearly all gift wrapping in Japan uses red and white in some form.

In addition to the pine and bamboo, plum trees, branches and flowers appear constantly in Japanese art and culture. Actually the three together (sho-chiku-bai, read as sho for pine, chiku for bamboo and bai for plum) express enduring happiness. Sho-chiku-bai is also used to grade course meals in kaiseki restaurants: sho is the most expensive course and bai the least expensive.

Artists say the shape of the plum trunk and branches, which seem to zig zig, is fukaku, the Oriental art equivalent of foreshortening in perspective painting. In classic scrolls and screens you will see that entire trees and branches are always drawn or painted in a certain manner. That's fukaku.

Plums have long been used in home health remedies. Salted plums (umeboshi) are eaten to cure digestive complaints and fatigue. Plum extract can also be used in a poultice to cure head or toothaches.

Plum trees, because of their fruit, are believed to ward off danger. On many older plots of land you will find plum trees planted in the northeast corner, the so-called demon's gate, from where danger and evil are believed to enter. Because of this belief, many family crests also incorporate the plum blossom into their design. Umeboshi, pickled sour plums, are also believed to keep danger away, when eaten. But most of all, plum blossoms herald spring and offer the perfect occasion for the year's first picnic.


Recommended plum blossom viewing spots in Kyoto


Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine

Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine is one of the most important of several hundred shrines across Japan that are dedicated to Michizane Sugawara, a scholar and politician who was unfairly exiled by his political rivals. As Michizane loved plum trees, the shrine features an entire grove of nearly 2,000 trees that bloom from February to March. The shrine hosts a special tea ceremony, called Baika Festival, every February 25th, attended by maiko and geiko of the nearby Kamishichiken district. Open: 5:30-17:30; 300 yen to enter the Homotsu-kan Exhibition Hall (Open: 9:00-16:00); Access: Kyoto City Bus #50, get off at Kitano Tenmangu-mae; Tel: 075-461-0005; http://kitanotenmangu.or.jp/


Zuishin-in Temple

After Kitano Tenman-gu, Zuishin-in Temple is the most famous in Kyoto for its plum trees. Located in Yamashina, this temple also has a particularly fine garden featuring a wide expanse of moss, a pond and a stunning arrangement of rocks. The temple is open daily during plum viewing season. Open: 9:00-16:30; 400 yen to enter the main hall; Access: A 5-min walk east of Ono Stn. on the Tozai subway line; Tel: 075-571-0025; http://www.zuishinin.or.jp/


Kyoto Imperial Palace Garden

The plum groves on the southwest side of the Kyoto Imperial Palace Grounds are another popular place to view plum blossoms. The best viewing time is from the end of February to the first week of March. Access: Karasuma subway line, Marutamachi (south gate) or Imadegawa (north gate) Stn.; Tel: 075-211-1215; http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/


Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo period (1600-1868). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five story castle keep. The castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994. The castle also features a plum orchard, which is typically in bloom from late February to early March. Open: 8:45-16:00; 600 yen; Access: Kyoto City Bus #50, get off at Nijojo-mae; Tel: 075-841-0096; http://www.city.kyoto.jp/bunshi/nijojo/


Kaju-ji Temple
Kaju-ji Temple's famous old plum tree was transplanted from the Imperial Palace. It is best viewed during February. Kaju-ji Temple's garden has a wide perspective much like a small park (the pond alone is 200 meters long) with Mount Daigo looming in the background. Open: 9:00-16:00; 400 yen; Access: Located west of Ono Stn. on the Tozai subway line; Tel: 075-571-0048.

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