When one hears blossoms in connection to Japan, the sakura or cherry blossom is most definitely the one that comes to mind. Today I would like to introduce you to its earlier counterpart - ume (pronounced “oomea”) or the Japanese apricot - blooming in February-early March.
It is truly a lovely gift from mother nature, just as spring is peaking its head into our lives year after year. In the language of flowers that is much appreciated in Japan, the ume blossoms indicate integrity, fidelity, and also endurance, since the ume trees sometimes bloom surrounded by snow.
ODAWARA UME FESTIVAL
Even if it does make for a gorgeous picture, there was no snow in my case. Fortunately, the weather was quite the opposite!
At the end of February, enjoying a gorgeous sunny day of low 60s, my husband and I had the chance to visit the picturesque Soga Bairin, in the city of Odawara, about 50 miles southeast of Tokyo, as it hosted the Odawara Ume Festival at its 52nd edition.
Photo by Olivia S.
This ume grove is among the three (3) largest in the Kanto region (Tokyo and the six surrounding prefectures) with approximately 35,000 ume trees, most of them bearing white flowers, a sign of them also bearing the edible ume fruit.
The large number of trees is also proof of the history of this crop in the region, which is said to be longer than 600 years, with the pickled ume initially constituting a part of the military provisions back in the day.
A short note on the ume fruit, which is translated as Japanese plum:
Tasting it will probably not remind you of either a plum or an apricot. Japanese almost never enjoy it raw - the ume fruit is normally pickled to become a great soury companion to the rice (ume boshi), or used to make a delicious sweet liquor (umeshu), not to mention the variety of snacks it can be turned into as a dried fruit. So, I guess you would just have to go out on a limb and try tasting it next time you find it in a Japanese supermarket or restaurant - hopefully you like it and add it to the list of delicious Japanese foods you enjoy.
Ume Boshi (stock image)
Umeshu (stock image)
Photo by Olivia S.
The word “idyllic” suits this ume grove not only because of the absolutely stunning blossoms, but because the location can hardly be considered a tourist attraction, except for this one month during the year when the blossoms attract hundreds daily; otherwise it is a quiet countryside area, where its inhabitants tend to the ume trees, but also grow mikans (mandarine oranges), kiwis and/or blueberries.
GETTING THERE
After getting off at the Shimo-Soga station, the ume blossom enthusiasts follow some basic signs through the local streets and farm roads, taking in their sweet smell (even through the masks worn even outdoors in Japan) and trying to visually capture their beauty with cell phones and professional cameras alike.
While the ume flowers seem to be everywhere, it takes about 15 minutes to reach the festival area, which includes parking spaces for those who prefer to use their own vehicles and shops selling locally made products.
In the past years, performances such as the local lion dance (registered as an intangible folk cultural asset), the paper lantern dance or the very popular horseback archery were some of the main attractions of the ume festival. This year, unfortunately, performances were all canceled in order to avoid large gatherings and keep visitors safe.
Thus, in a much quieter, but still cheerful atmosphere, many visitors pick a spot under the numerous ume trees, spread a blanket or a mat, enjoy the food and drinks offered at the festival kiosks and even catch a nap in the sun. We chose a deep-fried sandwich-like fish cake with pickled ume paste between the slices, and blueberry gelato for our ume blossom picnic.
Our spot also had a great view of Mount Fuji, which is just a mere 40 miles away!
WANDERING AROUND
To burn some calories we decided to wander around some of the hiking trails nearby - this allowed us to admire the ume groves from above too, while Mt. Fuji admired them from the opposite side.
We also encountered some local culture and history:
Horenji, a temple celebrating the goddess of childbirth and children; and
a statue of the famous agricultural developer and philosopher Ninomiya Sontoku, whose family roots can be found in the area.
Both were beautifully flanked by ume blossoms.
You are most probably an expert in the ume blossoms by now, right? So let’s try to spot the difference with the equally-lovely sakura blossoms.
The first blooms have just started to appear on the sakura trees in the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park.
In Japan, the first blooms rarely belong to the Kanto region, but this year we are the top batter, with a current forecast of March 20.
May your spring bring blooming flowers, fresh floral scents and a peaceful atmosphere!