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Plum Blossom Season in Japan 2027: When and Where to See Ume
From Atami in January to Sapporo in May: when plum blossoms bloom in each region of Japan, and the 2027 plum festival dates announced so far.
Japan's plum blossom (ume) season runs for months, not weeks. The first blossoms open in Atami in early January, the main season moves through Kyushu, Kansai and Kanto in February and early March, and the last groves in northern Japan bloom in April and even May. This guide shows when to go where in 2027, and which festival dates have already been announced.
Bloom times below are the usual seasons published by each garden or town; the actual timing moves with the weather by a week or two. Check the bloom calendar and, from January, our bloom reports before you travel.
When plum blossoms bloom, place by place
| Garden | Prefecture | Usual bloom |
|---|---|---|
| Atami Baien Plum Garden | Shizuoka | Early January – early March |
| Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine | Fukuoka | Late January – early March |
| Kitano Tenmangu Shrine | Kyoto | Early February – late March |
| Osaka Castle Park Plum Grove | Osaka | Early February – early March |
| Hanegi Park | Tokyo | Early February – early March |
| Minabe Plum Grove | Wakayama | Early – late February |
| Soga Plum Grove | Kanagawa | Early – late February |
| Kairakuen Garden | Ibaraki | Mid February – mid March |
| Yushima Tenmangu Shrine | Tokyo | Mid February – early March |
| Ogose Plum Grove | Saitama | Mid February – mid March |
| Yugawara Plum Grove | Kanagawa | Mid February – early March |
| Haruna Plum Grove | Gunma | Mid February – late March |
| Tsukigase Plum Grove | Nara | Late February – late March |
| Ume no Koen Park (Ome) | Tokyo | Late February – mid March |
| Jonangu Shrine | Kyoto | Late February – mid March |
| Kenrokuen Plum Grove | Ishikawa | From mid March |
| Kanabotoke Ume Park | Akita | Early April (viewing event) |
| Hiraoka Park Plum Grove | Hokkaido (Sapporo) | Late April – early May |
Plum blossoms come before cherry blossoms: in most of Japan the ume season is over by the time the sakura open at the end of March. If you are not sure which is which, see Ume vs Sakura.
2027 plum festivals announced so far
Most gardens hold a plum festival (ume matsuri) at the peak, with food stalls, local products and sometimes evening illuminations. These 2027 dates have been announced (planned dates; they can change with the bloom):
- Kanmuri Park Ume Festival (Yamaguchi): early to late February (planned)
- Ume no Utage, Yugawara Plum Grove (Kanagawa): February 6 – March 7
- Mito Ume Festival, Kairakuen Garden and Kodokan (Ibaraki): held every year at the peak; check the dates on the Kairakuen official site
- Weeping Plum and Camellia Festival, Jonangu Shrine (Kyoto): February 18 – March 22
- Weeping Ume Festival, Suzuka no Mori Garden (Mie): February 20 – late March (planned)
- Baika-sai, Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (Kyoto): February 25 (every year), with an outdoor tea ceremony
- Hiraoka Ume Festival (Sapporo): late April – early May (planned)
Many other towns announce their dates between November and January. The full list, updated as dates come out, is on the plum festivals page.
Choosing where to go
- Short on time in Tokyo? Yushima Tenmangu is about two minutes on foot from Yushima Station, and Hanegi Park is five minutes from Umegaoka Station.
- Staying in Kyoto or Osaka? Kitano Tenmangu, Jonangu and Osaka Castle Park are all in the city.
- Want a sea of blossoms? Minabe Plum Grove (about 80,000 trees), Haruna Plum Grove (about 120,000) and Soga Plum Grove (about 35,000) are working orchards on a huge scale.
- Coming in January? Atami Baien is the safest bet, and Atami is a hot-spring town, so it makes an easy overnight trip.
For a day-by-day plan, see our one-week February itinerary, and the plum blossom map for every garden we list.
