A festival held every year on a Sunday in mid-March at Hirohashi Plum Grove in Shimoichi, one of the three great plum groves of Nara Prefecture. In 2026 it took place on Sunday, March 15. About 5,000 ume trees bloom on roughly 25 hectares of the slopes of Hirohashi Pass, with views over Mount Kongo, Mount Katsuragi and the Yamato Plain.
Walking paths run through the grove, so you can combine it with a hike, for example the "Bairin Manki" course from the Hirohashi-toge bus stop to Shimoichi Onsen Akitsuso (about 2.5 km one way, about 40 minutes on foot). It is about 20 minutes by Nara Kotsu bus from Shimoichiguchi Station on the Kintetsu Yoshino Line, right by the "Hirohashi-toge" stop (buses are infrequent). Enquiries: Shimoichi Town Community Development Division (0747-52-0001).
Dates are based on the organizers' announcements and may change with the weather or the bloom. Please check the official information before you go.
