[Tokyo ]Five plum blossom viewing spots decorated with red and white blossoms in early spring

Hanegi Park is currently planted with about 230 red and 420 white plum trees, representing about 60 varieties, and was first planted in 1967 when a ward assembly member planted 55 plum trees in commemoration of his election. Since then, commemorative tree plantings have been repeated around 10 times to reach the current scale.

The park covers an area of less than 80,000 square meters, and the overall terrain is hilly. The park is lined with easy walking paths. The slope is gentle, so it is not difficult to walk.

Benches are placed throughout the parkway, so visitors can sit and rest while being surrounded by plum blossoms on all sides.

During the best season for plum blossoms, the central plaza is filled with people who lay out leisure sheets and enjoy eating and drinking.

Visitors can enjoy the scent of ume plum blossoms and the Japanese atmosphere by listening to a koto music performance in the tea ceremony room, Hoshitatsudo, located in the garden. A plant market, gardening market, outdoor tea ceremony, powdered green tea service, and haiku gathering are also held, so visitors can enjoy a variety of activities to suit their hobbies and interests.

In addition to the numerous events, booths are set up to sell souvenirs related to plums, as well as food and beverages such as yakisoba, frankfurters, ramen noodles, juice, and canned beer.

"Facility Information "
Facility Name Hanegi Park
Address: 4-38-52 Daita, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Phone number 03-3322-0415
Access 5 min. walk from Odakyu Line "Umegaoka Station "

According to shrine legend, Yushima Tenjin was founded in 458, enshrining Amenotajikara-no-mikoto, according to the order of Emperor Yusaku. Later, in 1355, Sugawara no Michizane was enshrined at the request of the local residents.

A plum garden is located in the precincts southwest of the main shrine. About 20 varieties of plum trees, 300 of which are grown in the garden, centering on the white plum "Shirakaga ".

Plum blossoms cover overhead from both sides of the approach connecting the main garden and the Karamon gate.

Plum blossoms are folded three-dimensionally not only in the precincts of the shrine, but also along the slope leading to the shrine on the higher ground. Leading from the northeast to the main shrine is a married couple's slope.

When heading to the main shrine from the eastern part of the temple, go up the male and female slopes. Ume blossoms adorn both hills.

"During the Yushima Tenjin Ume Festival ", a special event stage will be set up to the west of the main shrine.
The stage usually features a variety of programs such as Edo Gei Kappore, Hakubai Taiko, Kagura, Japanese dance, folk songs, belly dancing, and Hawaiian hula. You could spend all day at the shrine and never get bored.

"Facility Information "
Facility name Yushima Tenjin
Address: 3-30-1 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Phone number 03-3836-0753
Access Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line "Yushima Station "2 min. walk from Exit 3
Official website https://www.yushimatenjin.or.jp/pc/index.htm

Kameido Tenjinja was founded in 1646 by Nobusuke Otorii Sugawara, a descendant of Michizane and a priest of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Kyushu. A five-year-old statue of Lord Suga stands in front of the worship hall.

In the center of the shrine grounds, south of the hall of worship, is Shinji Pond, with its calm surface. A pathway runs through the center of the pond from the hall of worship to the Otorii gate.

At the northern end of the central approach, near the hall of worship, is the Taiko-bashi (women's bridge). When looking at the worship hall from the bridge, the shrine pavilions appear to be dressed in red and white makeup.

The area around the flat bridge over the center of the pond seems to be the most popular spot on the grounds.
At the southern end of the approach to the shrine, a taiko-bashi (male bridge) crosses over the Otorii (Grand Gate). From the bridge, you can see the vermilion Taiko-bashi bridge and the Tokyo Sky Tree towering beyond the plum blossoms.

The red plum blossoms that adorn the approach to the west are also magnificent.

"Facility Information "
Facility Name Kameido Tenjinsha Shrine
Address: 3-6-1 Kameido, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Phone number 03-3681-0010
Access JR "Kameido Station "about 15 min. walk from North Exit
Official website http://kameidotenjin.or.jp/

Approximately 210 ume trees are planted in the Ume Garden.
There are many varieties of ume, with about 70 varieties growing in Japan, most of which have been introduced to Japan since the Edo period (1603-1868). "野梅系（やばいけい） "では、 "八重寒紅（やえかんこう） "や "月の桂（つきのかつら） "、 "豊後系（ぶんごけい） "では、 "楊貴妃（ようきひ） "、 "緋の袴（ひのはかま） "、 "白牡丹（はくぼたん） "、 "江南所無（こうなんしょむ） "、 "緋梅系（ひばいけい） "では、 "鹿児島紅（かごしまべに） "、 "大盃（おおさか You can observe and compare ume trees with distinctive flower colors, shapes, and branching styles, such as "

The park paths that wind between various types of plum trees are paved and easy to walk on.
Resting areas and benches have been set up so that visitors can take a break and admire the plum blossoms.

"During the Jindai Botanical Park Ume Festival ", a special stage will be set up in front of the Botanical Hall for the "Ume Concert ". In the lobby on the first floor of the hall, a part of a copybook of "ume genealogy ", in which Hisasao Haruta, an active ume breeder in the Edo period, sketched ume trees in the garden of his mansion and added explanatory notes, will be on special display. Other events planned include lectures, guided tours of the ume garden, and many other events with rich content related to the ume trees that led Edo horticultural culture.

"Facility Information "
Facility Name Jindai Botanical Park
Address: 2-5 Jindaiji Motomachi, 1-2 Jindaiji Kita-machi, 4-5 Jindaiji Minamimachi, Chofu City, Tokyo
Phone number 042-483-2300
Opening hours: 9:30 to 17:00 (last admission at 16:00)
Closed Mondays (if Monday is a national holiday, a substitute holiday, or a day for city residents, the following day is closed),
Year-end and year-beginning (December 29 to January 1 of the following year)
Admission materials General = 500yen / 65 years old or older = 250yen / Middle school students = 200yen / Elementary school students or less = no materials
Access From Keio Line "Chofu Station ", take Odakyu Bus bound for "Kichijoji Station "or "Mitaka Station ", get off at "Jindai Shokubutsu Koen-mae "
Official website https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/jindai/

Entering the museum's main gate and walking southward along the zelkova trees, you will see a plum grove spreading across the plaza between the old Fuchu Town Hall and the statue of Heiemon Kawasaki.

At Kawasaki Heiemon Plaza, people can be seen enjoying lunch on leisure sheets.
In one section of the plaza, "Kagoshima Koubai (Kagoshima red plum) ", "Yamato Botan (Yamato peony) "and others sent from Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture are growing well.

From Kawasaki Heiemon Plaza, cross the hydrangea hill and go further south to the plum garden. Once inside the garden, you will see plum blossoms as far as the eye can see.
In the center of the garden, red and white plum trees create an exquisite contrast of colors that will make you stop and take your breath away.

The extremely wide variety of ume varieties spread over the vast grounds allows visitors to enjoy ume blossoms for a long period of time. The first to open their blossoms are the early-blooming "Yaeyabai "and "Yae-kanko ". Following these are the mid-blooming "Shirakaga ", "Tsukikage ", "Shinchasei ", and so on. Late bloomers such as "Bungo (Bungo) ", "Benichidori (Benichidori) ", "Komukai (Komukai) "close the season.

"During the Plum Blossom Festival ", not only will stalls be set up in the park, but also events such as Nodate Tea Ceremony, Koto Shakuhachi Concert, and Fuchu Performing Arts a la carte will be organized.

"Facility Information "
Facility Name Fuchu City Folk Forest Museum
Address: 6-32 Minami-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo
Phone number 042-368-7921
Hours: 9:00-17:00 (admission until 16:00)
Closed Mondays (if Monday falls on a national holiday, the museum is closed the following day) and year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 to January 3)
Admission to the museum Adult = 300yen / Under junior high school student = 150yen
Access 20 min. walk from "Fuchu Honmachi Sta. on JR Musashino Line and Nambu Line "
Official website http://www.fuchu-cpf.or.jp/museum/