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Mito Plum Blossom Festival 2027: Dates, Bloom and Getting to Kairakuen
The dates of the 131st Mito Plum Blossom Festival in 2027 are not out yet. Here are the 2026 dates (February 11 – March 22), when Kairakuen and Kodokan bloom, the evening events, admission and how to get there from Tokyo.
The dates of the 131st Mito Plum Blossom Festival (Mito no Ume Matsuri) in 2027 have not been announced yet (as of October 27, 2026). While we wait, this page gathers what you need to plan a trip: what happened at the 130th festival in 2026, when the plum trees at Kairakuen and Kodokan are at their best, and how to get there from Tokyo. We will add the 2027 dates here and on our festival page as soon as they are out.
2027 dates
The organizer, the Mito Tourism and Convention Association, has not announced them yet. They will appear on the official website (mitokoumon.com/ume/). Enquiries: Mito Tourism and Convention Association, 029-224-0441.
For reference, the 130th festival in 2026 ran from February 11 (a national holiday) to Sunday, March 22, at two venues: Kairakuen Garden and Kodokan, the former domain school.
When the plum trees bloom
Kairakuen has about 3,000 plum trees of some 100 varieties, and Kodokan about 800 of some 60 varieties. According to Ibaraki Prefecture, the varieties bloom in three waves:
| Group | Usual timing |
|---|---|
| Early varieties | Mid January – mid February |
| Mid-season varieties | Early February – mid March |
| Late varieties | Early – late March |
Most trees are in bloom together from late February to early March, which is also when the prefecture expected the peak in 2026. The timing can move by a week or two with the weather, so check our bloom reports before you go.
Main events in 2026
Besides daytime plum viewing, there were evening events. Whether they return in 2027 is not known yet.
- Kairakuen UME The Lights: an evening event in Kairakuen's main garden, held for the second time in 2026, 18:00–20:30 (last entry 20:00).
- Yoru-Ume-Matsuri: at Kodokan and the Mito Castle ruins, on Saturday, March 7 in 2026, with a shuttle bus linking it to Kairakuen that day.
- National Umeshu Festival in Mito: in the grounds of Tokiwa Shrine, where you can taste and buy more than 120 umeshu (plum liqueurs) from all over Japan. March 13–15 in 2026.
Outdoor tea ceremonies and concerts are also held during the festival. Details of 2026 are on the 130th Mito Plum Festival page.
Admission and hours (2026)
| Venue | Admission (adults) | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Kairakuen main garden | 320 yen (Kobuntei extra) | 6:00–19:00 (Kobuntei from 9:00) |
| Kodokan | 420 yen | 9:00–17:00 |
Elementary and junior high school students and people aged 70 and over pay half. Kairakuen is free from opening time until 9:00, so if you stay overnight in Mito you can walk the grove in the quiet morning: see Stay in Mito for a morning at Kairakuen.
Getting there from Tokyo
- Train: about 1 hour 15 minutes from Ueno Station to Mito Station by limited express on the JR Joban Line.
- From Mito Station to Kairakuen: buses for Kairakuen leave from stops 4 and 6 of the north exit bus terminal, about 20 minutes.
- Temporary station: on set days during the festival, the JR Joban Line opens the temporary Kairakuen Station. Only down trains (coming from Ueno) stop there, so take the train back from Mito Station.
- Car: about 20 minutes from Mito IC on the Joban Expressway, or from Ibarakimachi-Higashi IC and Mito-Minami IC on the Kita-Kanto Expressway. Roads and car parks are crowded during the festival.
Nearby
- Oarai: a seaside town close to Mito, where you can make your own umeshu or plum syrup. See Make umeshu in Oarai, see the plum blossoms in Mito.
- Mount Tsukuba: the Mount Tsukuba Plum Festival is held in the grove on its slopes at about the same time.
For the 2027 dates of other festivals, see Plum blossom season in Japan 2027; for the garden itself, see Kairakuen.
