I am a total, total sucker for plum blossoms. The flowers are much more beautiful than cherry blossoms up close, and you gotta admire that the damn things even bloom in the snow. I mean, they famously bloom in the snow (thousands of haiku can’t be wrong.)
Here are my favorite places in Tokyo to see them, from mid-February to March!
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NEW FOR 2018!
JINDAI BOTANICAL GARDEN
This fabulous botanical garden is about a 10 minute bus ride (or a pleasant 25 minute walk) from Chofu Station, and it’s well worth the trip! Bonus attraction: it’s bordered by the Jindai-ji temple, with an old-fashioned shopping street featuring lots of soba noodle restaurants.
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IKEGAMI HONMONJI BAIEN
Ikegami Honmonji temple has an entire garden dedicated to plum trees, with nice thatch-roofed teahouses situated among them.
Admission: ¥100
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…and the perennial favorites
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ARISUGAWA PARK
Tucked away in Hiroo, on the highest hill in this jewel of a park, is a lovely circle of plum trees. It’s a nice place to rest and enjoy.
Admission: Free
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GOTOKU-JI TEMPLE
This temple also has a shrine with a boatload of lucky cat figures & an awesome wooden pagoda.
Admission: Free
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HAMA-RIKYU TEIEN GARDEN
This garden is one of the most famous in Tokyo for plum trees. As a bonus, they’ve planted a sea of yellow flowers behind the earliest-blooming trees, and it’s a favorite place for wedding photography, so you might see some brides in kimono while you’re there.
Admission: ¥300
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HANEGI PARK
This isn’t a very scenic garden – more of a hill planted with hundreds of plum trees – but it awes by sheer volume and variety. And it’s about a three minute walk from the train station so: no excuses
Admission: Free
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KAMEIDO TENJIN SHRINE
This temple is famous for wisteria, but it turns out they have a killer plum tree collection too. Any shrine that has “Tenjin” or “Tenmangu” as part of its name has a collection of plum trees, and often there is a red one and a white one flanking the entrance to the sanctuary.
Admission: Free
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KITANO SHRINE
This is a small shrine near Koraku-en, but it’s really glorious in plum blossom season. As a bonus, it has a cow-shaped rack for tying your unwanted fortunes to.
Admission: Free
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KORAKUEN GARDEN
The plum grove at my favorite Tokyo garden blooms early and often. Lots of different kinds, plus the rest of the garden is beautiful too.
Admission: ¥300
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KYU SHIBA RIKYU GARDEN
This is a small but exquisite formal garden, and although the plum grove isn’t large, the varieties are very beautiful. Some trees have both pink and white blooms on the same branch!
Admission: ¥150
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NISHIARAI DAISHI TEMPLE
If you’re lucky, the very early-blooming cherry tree will be dressed in pink at the same time!
Admission: Free
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OKURAYAMA PARK
This park is a bit of a schlep in the Yokohama direction, but it’s well worth it in plum blossom season.
Admission: Free
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SHINJUKU GYOUEN GARDEN
There’s a grove of many different kinds of plum trees in the traditional Japanese garden area, by the tea house. Any time of year, Shinjuku Gyouen never disappoints.
Admission: ¥500
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YUSHIMA SHRINE
This is one of the most beautiful shrines in Tokyo, and it not only has a ton of plum trees, it has a festival to celebrate them, from Feb 6 – Mar 6.
Admission: Free
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon!
“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Only In Japan 
Are you in town? I would be honored to take in some ume with you. It’s high time we met.
I’m sadly SADLY going to miss all of plum blossom season this year ( ; _ ; ) but I’ll be back in time for the accursed cherries. Rain check? I would love to meet you, if you’re not too busy!
Love the accursed cherries! Let me know when you’re in town. I’m gone April 18-May 1, otherwise any time is good.