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Mt. Tsukuba Ume Grove and Cable Car: Mid-Mountain Ume and Summit Views
Mt. Tsukuba Ume Grove features around 1,000 ume trees blooming halfway up Mt. Tsukuba. This route takes you from Tsukuba Station by shuttle bus and up to the summit station via cable car.
Halfway up Mt. Tsukuba lies the Mt. Tsukuba Ume Grove, home to around 1,000 planted ume trees. After strolling through the grove, you can take the cable car up to the summit station at Miyukigahara. Fares, schedules, and access details are based on official website information (confirmed in October 2026). As details may vary from year to year, please verify on the official website before departing.
Mt. Tsukuba Ume Grove
- Mt. Tsukuba Ume Grove: Peak viewing usually runs from mid-February to mid-March.
- Access: About a 36-minute ride on the Mt. Tsukuba Shuttle Bus from Tsukuba Station on the Tsukuba Express line, getting off at "Tsukubasan-jinja-iriguchi".
- The Mt. Tsukuba Ume Festival is held annually from February to March (February 7 to March 15 in 2026).
- Municipal parking lots cannot be reserved. Visitors are encouraged to use public transportation.
Mt. Tsukuba Cable Car
- Runs from the base station (Miyawaki Station) to the summit station (Miyukigahara) in about 8 minutes. Spanning a total length of 1,634 meters, it is the third-longest cable car in Japan.
- From the windows, you can see ume and cherry blossoms in spring. From the summit, you can take in panoramic views of Tsukuba city, Tokyo Skytree, Mt. Fuji, and more.
- When navigating by car GPS to the cable car, the official website advises searching for "Tsukubasan Shrine". The municipal parking lot on the cable car side costs 500 yen per day for standard vehicles.
Value Passes
The "Mt. Tsukuba Ticket" (Tsukubasan Kippu) is a discount pass that covers the Tsukuba Express, Kanto Tetsudo buses, the cable car, and the ropeway on a single ticket. It is available for purchase at Tsukuba Express stations from Akihabara to Kenkyu-gakuen.
Sample Day Itinerary
Take the shuttle bus from Tsukuba Station to Tsukubasan-jinja-iriguchi. After walking through the ume grove, head up to the summit station on the cable car to enjoy the scenery before returning. You can check the current season's blooming conditions on the Bloom Status page. Nearby accommodations are also introduced on this page for each spot.
