News On Japan

Odawara Ume Festival: Early Blooms Mark the Arrival of Spring

Kanagawa, Feb 03 (News On Japan) - The annual Odawara Plum Festival is a sign that spring has arrived early this year in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, with white plum blossoms already at their peak as of Risshun (the first day of spring in the traditional Japanese calendar) on February 4th.

Soga Bairin, Odawara’s plum grove, has kicked off its traditional Plum Festival. The Soga area, known for its plum production since the Warring States period, has opened its groves to share the delicate beauty of white plum blossoms with visitors.

With approximately 35,000 trees, this year's bloom has started early due to the warm winter weather.

The Plum Festival will continue until February 29th, offering visitors a chance to indulge in the early arrival of spring amidst the historic and picturesque plum groves of Odawara.

Source: ANN

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The Japan Society for the Study of Obesity has issued a warning about the health risks of excessive thinness and poor nutrition among women, positioning what it calls 'women's underweight and malnutrition syndrome' as a newly recognized health condition.

Sales of Miyazaki Prefecture’s signature fully ripe mangoes, branded as "Taiyo no Tamago" or "Egg of the Sun," officially began on April 17th, with auctions taking place in Fukuoka City.

Once a familiar and comforting presence on urban streets, Japan's cherished ramen stalls are quietly fading away as stricter regulations, an aging workforce, and evolving consumer preferences make their survival increasingly difficult.

A bear attacking a live deer outside a hotel in Kamikawa, Hokkaido, has shocked onlookers and prompted heightened alert from local authorities.

Strong winds battered wide areas of Japan on April 15th, disrupting air travel, toppling trees in central Tokyo, and fueling a fire that burned down homes in Toyama.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Travel NEWS

The 2025 World Expo opened its doors this Sunday (13) in the city of Osaka, Kansai, Japan - with the aim of emphasizing future technologies and harmony in a world facing “countless divisions”. (Hi Japan)

A regular flight route between Fukuoka and Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan resumed on April 15th for the first time in nine years, operated by Taiwan's China Airlines.

On the fourth day of the Osaka-Kansai Expo on April 16th, under clear skies, large crowds gathered once again as the long-delayed Brazil Pavilion finally opened after a minor fire scare and construction delays.

A cherry tree blooming in the garden of the Shiga Peace Memorial Museum carries the legacy of Hiroshima. This tree, known as a 'hibaku zakura' or atomic-bombed cherry tree, descends from a tree that survived the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, just two kilometers from ground zero.

Strong winds battered wide areas of Japan on April 15th, disrupting air travel, toppling trees in central Tokyo, and fueling a fire that burned down homes in Toyama.

The official start of the swimming season was held on April 12th at Sesoko Beach in Motobu, Okinawa Prefecture, where children’s excited voices echoed across the sand as they welcomed the long-awaited day.

While Kyoto is often crowded during sakura season, Katsuryuji Castle Park in Nagaokakyo offers a more tranquil alternative. As a cherished local spot, it allows visitors to appreciate the cherry blossoms at a relaxed pace.

For the first time in 55 years, a World Expo has returned to Osaka, opening its doors to the public on Sunday under the theme 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives.'