10 best parks, gardens and shrines to see plum blossoms in Tokyo

A popular place for plum blossom fans since olden times, Yushima Tenmangu shrine still draws crowds every year. The plum blossoms might get less hype than the cherry blossoms that follow, but they still make for some gorgeous late-winter scenery.

This year marks the 68th run of the Yushima Tenjin Ume Matsuri. The annual festival is one of Tokyo's most popular late-winter events, and it takes place for a month from February 8 until March 8. The shinto shrine is home to about 300 plum trees, and most of them are around 70 to 80 years old. Approximately 80 percent of them produce white plum blossoms. 

On weekends and holidays – February 8-9, 11, 15-16, 22-24, March 1 – you can look forward to events such as live shamisen (Japanese lute) and taiko drumming as well as flamenco and belly dancing performances.

You’ll also find a number of stalls selling souvenirs from Bunkyo ward as well as local products from Shimane (February 8-9, 11), Aomori (Feb 15-16), Kumamoto (February 22-24), and Ishikawa (March 1-2).

Setagaya's Hanegi Park is home to over 600 plum blossom trees. These small, pink flowers bloom when the weather starts to warm up and Hanegi Park celebrates with a month-long festival.

The Setagaya Plum Festival (or Setagaya Ume Matsuri) celebrates the flowering season with events like mochi pounding, tea ceremonies and traditional music performances. Most of these events take place on weekends and holidays. You'll find the event schedule here (in Japanese only).

While you're there, stop by the on-site food stalls for plum jam or plum-flavoured treats like sweet mochi daifuku or baked manju with candied plums and white bean paste inside. 

Kameido's charming Tenjin Shrine hosts this annual early spring festival in celebration of the 300 plum trees – 50 koubai red blossoms and 150 hakubai white plum trees – on the premises. The goken-no-ume tree is particularly special as it has both red and white plums blooming on one tree.

The flowers usually reach full bloom between the middle of February and early March, while a variety of events will take place throughout the festival period – mainly on the weekends.

Mukojima Hyakkaen Gardens has been revered as a prime flower viewing spot since the Edo period (1603-1868). In fact, the layout and some of the buildings in this heritage park date back to that time. The highlight, however, is the garden’s 360 plum trees of 20 kinds, which come alive in full bloom between February 8 and March 2 during the annual Plum Festival.

If possible, make sure you visit on February 8 or 24 for the special Edo-era entertainment. There will be a variety of street performances and dances scheduled at 11.40am, 1pm and 3pm. Don’t miss the suzume-odori performance, also known as the sparrow dance, on February 9 and 16 at 1pm and 3pm.

Park staff are offering a 60-minute garden tour on February 23 at 1pm and there will also be a special tea ceremony demonstration serving matcha tea at the Onari-zashiki resting area from 10am to 4pm on February 22 and 23. (¥1,000 per seat) Note that the tour is in Japanese only. All events except for the tea ceremony demonstration are free, but there is a fee to enter the garden. 

The garden is open daily from 9am-5pm.