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Atami Baien Ume Matsuri

2023 | Visit Shizuoka
on Last updated Jan 2, 2023

Atami
Atami, a popular hot spring resort
town in Shizuoka Prefecture
Prefecture, has a
beautiful plum garden called Atami
Baien that becomes amazingly
magnificent with millions of ume
blossoms during its Atami Baien
Ume Matsuri
Matsuri.

Here, ume matsuri means plum

blossom festival. Please, bear in mind
that Atami Baien is one of the top
plum blossom viewing spots in
Japan.

It is a beautiful coastal city located on

Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Often many people who live outside
Japan think that both ume and
sakura (cherry) blossoms are similar.

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Your imagination is totally wrong,

don’t you believe me? Then please,
find out the facts of di!erence
between cherry and plum blossoms
right away. Open your eyes before
you fall in love with ume.

White ume (plum blossom). Photo

Credit: kuribo at Flickr.

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Atami Baien Ume Matsuri begins on

the second week of January during
winter and ends after two months on
March in early spring. Does it make
sense when a festival like this runs
through two months at a stretch?

Firstly, it does and secondly what’s

the di!erence! This is not a boring
festival you would ever come across
rather I believe this is what you wish
to be part of in winter season.

January and February are

considered the months of heavy
snowfall in northeastern and northern
Japan. While on the other hand, the
ume trees in Shizuoka start blooming
at that time. How incredible!

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Other parts of Japan get lots of snow

and here it is time for viewing early
spring blossom! This is a magic
performed by our nature, no doubt.

Atami Baine (Plum

Garden)

Pink Plum Blossoms at Atami Baien.

Photo Credit: Yoichi_ at Flickr.

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Atami Baine is one of the prominent
plum groves in Central Japan. It was
opened for public in 1886 and it is
about 14,000 square meters in size.

The garden is blessed with

interesting flora. A wide variety of
plants can be found in the entire
garden. The plant that dominates the
most is the ume tree or so called plum
tree. There are 472 plum trees of 59
di!erent kinds
kinds.

It is quite impossible counting each

and every plum tree though you can
imagine their existence viewing the
blossoms come in di!erent colors.
Here, most of the ume trees are early
bloomers but there are some
varieties which start blooming late in
end of February.

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Early flowering ume trees buds

appear in early December. February
is the best time to visit Atami Baine
because most of the plum trees at the
time are in full bloom.

There are some traditional Japanese

style garden bridges along the
walking paths. You can have a stroll
along the paths and enjoy viewing
the delicate ume flowers.

Except viewing ume, you would be

experiencing something special such
as a artificial man-made waterfall,
next to it you find a large wooden
bridge.

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The bridge becomes awesome with

those ume trees planted nearby.
Please don’t forget to visit the
Sawada Seiko Memorial Museum,
Korean Garden and Nakayama
Shinpei Memorial Hall.

I can’t say that Atami Baine shows its

ultimate beauty only in early spring
but you can experience its colorful
autumn beauty during the Atami
Baine Momiji Matsuri. There are
hundreds of maple trees that leave
turn to red in autumn season, usually
from mid November to early
December.

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About the Festival

Atami Plum Garden in Shizuoka.

Photo Credit: Japan Travel And
Tourism Association.

The Atami Baien Ume Matsuri is all

about falling in love with ume. Don’t
you think so? In details, the festival is
about viewing di!erent kinds of ume
blossoms, participating in many
cultural programs and the tea
ceremony.

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The festival is held for two months

from the second week of January
to early March
March. In 2023, it will be
held from January 7 to March 5.

Every year thousands of visitors from

abroad take a visit to this plum
garden during the festival time.

If you are planning to visit Tokyo

either in January, February or
February then I strongly recommend
you coming here in Atami. It takes
only a-50 minute train ride by
Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo to
Atami.

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Here I will be guiding you how you

could enjoy the whole festival once
you are in the garden. February is the
month of celebrating many winter
festivals in Japan. Ume matsuri at
Atami Baien does not feature
fireworks display, and illuminated
snow sculptures like the Asahikawa
Winter Festival.

Its opening hours start at exactly 8:30

and the festival can be celebrated till
16:00. Before the sunset the garden
gets back to sleep till the next
morning when again it begins its
show.

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Try coming here early before 8:30,

especially on weekends and holidays.
It gets crowded on Saturday and
Sunday, you would have no idea
where all these visitors are coming
from!

Don’t Miss the Live

Performances

Atami plum garden and bridge. Photo

Credit: ataminews.gr.jp.

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Every year, a schedule is published

with the programs listed sequentially
that will be held throughout the
festival period for two months.

You should not miss watching the

cultural programs like Taiko Drum
performances, Miss Atami Photo
Session, Tea Ceremonies, Geisha
Hand Fan Dance, and Live Concert.
You will be o!ered free Amazake – it
is sweet sake made of rice with ZERO
alcohol. Drink it, warm your body and
then CHEERS.

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Walk along the garden paths and

delight your entire trip viewing the
beautiful ume flowers. Red, pink,
white, yellow and other eye-catching
color of ume can be seen.

Take some deep breaths all the way

to the last stop. Why? Because I am
sure you will be lost in the plum
garden with the sweeter fragrance of
ume blossoms.

Relax and Have Something

The garden is absolutely stunning

that gives you experience an early
spring atmosphere. It takes about 2
hours to enjoy everything inside the
garden.

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