Comments on: The best place to see plum blossoms in Tokyo (Yoshino Baigo) http://www.japannavigator.com/2008/03/01/the-best-place-to-see-plum-blossoms-in-tokyo-yoshino-baigo/ Guide to Japanese culture by Ad Blankestijn. Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:32:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Ad Blankestijn http://www.japannavigator.com/2008/03/01/the-best-place-to-see-plum-blossoms-in-tokyo-yoshino-baigo/#comment-866 Ad Blankestijn Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:36:57 +0000 http://www.japannavigator.com/2008/03/01/the-best-place-to-see-plum-blossoms-in-tokyo-yoshino-baigo/#comment-866 Steve, Many thanks for your interesting comment! I visited a couple of years ago, so my pictures do not reflect present reality... I was there early in the season, when the trees were just starting to bloom. Perhaps because of that, even although it was a weekend, there were very few people and I enjoyed the feeling of being in nature. I was not asked to pay anything - perhaps because I happened to enter from a sort of side entrance? Among all plum gardens I have visited, this is my favorite. Steve,

Many thanks for your interesting comment! I visited a couple of years ago, so my pictures do not reflect present reality…

I was there early in the season, when the trees were just starting to bloom. Perhaps because of that, even although it was a weekend, there were very few people and I enjoyed the feeling of being in nature. I was not asked to pay anything - perhaps because I happened to enter from a sort of side entrance?

Among all plum gardens I have visited, this is my favorite.

]]> By: steveb http://www.japannavigator.com/2008/03/01/the-best-place-to-see-plum-blossoms-in-tokyo-yoshino-baigo/#comment-837 steveb Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:20:44 +0000 http://www.japannavigator.com/2008/03/01/the-best-place-to-see-plum-blossoms-in-tokyo-yoshino-baigo/#comment-837 Ad, When I walked by the park today, only a handful of trees were in bloom right now, and it is not really worth the ¥200 admission price (charged only during the blossom season in March). The locals are saying the peak may be about two weeks from now, around the middle of March. The park entrance below the graveyard is sealed off for the month so people will go through the main entrance a little further up the road. There can be some stunning views when all or most of the blossoms are in bloom. It's very crowded on weekends from the 9am opening time to 5pm closing. Best to visit on a weekday if possible. A few events are scheduled on weekends that might be worth the visit, although I do not know the schedul. It was very nice to hear koto music while sitting under the blossoms. The name Oume means green plum and is believed to come from a plum tree planted by warrior and self-proclaimed emperor of Musashino, Taira no Masakado in the 10th century at a local shrine. The plums that grew turned green but never ripened. The tree (or a descendant) still exists at a local temple. Ad,

When I walked by the park today, only a handful of trees were in bloom right now, and it is not really worth the ¥200 admission price (charged only during the blossom season in March). The locals are saying the peak may be about two weeks from now, around the middle of March.

The park entrance below the graveyard is sealed off for the month so people will go through the main entrance a little further up the road.

There can be some stunning views when all or most of the blossoms are in bloom. It’s very crowded on weekends from the 9am opening time to 5pm closing. Best to visit on a weekday if possible. A few events are scheduled on weekends that might be worth the visit, although I do not know the schedul. It was very nice to hear koto music while sitting under the blossoms.

The name Oume means green plum and is believed to come from a plum tree planted by warrior and self-proclaimed emperor of Musashino, Taira no Masakado in the 10th century at a local shrine. The plums that grew turned green but never ripened. The tree (or a descendant) still exists at a local temple.

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