Some people welcome spring with a prognosticating rodent. Others throw beans, exchange red envelopes full of money, or decorate the streets with dozens of lanterns. Me? I head for the hills here in my adopted home country of Japan and search out the first signs of the coming season – plum blossoms.
Plum Blossoms
Before the sakura (cherry trees) snapped up all the good press, the plum blossom was the original herald of springtime in East Asia. With their varied colors (anywhere from snowy white to deep magenta), plum blossoms make a noticeable splash on their drab winter surroundings. In bloom for nearly four weeks (twice as long as their delicate competition), they’re a colorful forerunner of what’s to come in the warmer months.
White plum blossoms
Viewing opportunities around the archipelago are numerous. Tokyo’s city gardens boast quiet corners of the dark pink blooms, while the white walls of Odawara Castle are framed in salmon-colored splendor. For the best chance to wander among the blooming orchards, however, a trip outside Tokyo to the Yoshino Baigo Plum Grove is a must. Surrounded by over 25,000 ornamental trees, you’ll feel like you either wandered into an impressionist painting or a kindergartner’s eager attempt at pink-hued pointillism. In any case, the beauty of Mother Nature’s canvas serves as a welcome reminder that spring is just around the corner.
Yoshino Baigo Plum Orchard
What’s your favorite sign of the coming season?
Written By Mandy Bartok.
