News On Japan

Blossoms Draw Crowds to Famous Plum Grove in Wakayama

Wakayama, Feb 11 (News On Japan) - Plum blossoms are now at their best viewing season at the plum groves of Minabe Town in Wakayama Prefecture, widely known as Japan’s leading plum-producing region.

At the Minabe Plum Grove, famed under the saying "a million blossoms at a glance, fragrance for ten ri," the flowers have reached between seven-tenths and eight-tenths bloom, marking the start of the peak viewing period. Despite a sharp morning chill on February 10th, many visitors gathered at the grove to enjoy the blossoms’ beauty and fragrance.

One visitor said the scenery lifted their spirits, noting that being surrounded by plum orchards in every direction felt refreshing, adding that while it may be slightly early for full bloom, the current stage offers an especially pleasant atmosphere.

The plum blossoms at the Minabe Plum Grove are expected to be enjoyed through March 1st.

Source: KTV NEWS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

An Idemitsu Kosan crude oil tanker has safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first vessel bound for Japan to do so since attacks on Iran heightened tensions in the region and effectively disrupted maritime traffic.

Japan’s Golden Week holiday period got fully underway on April 29, drawing large crowds to major tourist destinations and airports, where long lines formed as overseas travel surged.

A series of sightings involving unusually large brown bears in Hokkaido has heightened concerns among local residents, with one 330-kilogram animal captured in Tomamae and another 280-kilogram bear attacking a hunter in Shimamaki.

Full-scale Golden Week travel began on April 29, with Chubu Centrair International Airport experiencing its busiest outbound travel day of the holiday period. The airport was crowded from the morning with vacationers heading overseas.

Electricity and gas bills for usage in May will rise slightly in Japan, with the impact of tensions involving Iran expected to appear in utility charges from June onward. Larger increases could follow in subsequent months.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Travel NEWS

A long-standing hot spring facility in Kagoshima brought down the curtain on nearly six decades of history on April 29, Showa Day, as a cameraman documented its final day, capturing memories of an era shaped by Japan’s postwar growth.

International passenger traffic at Kansai Airport reached a record high of 27.08 million in fiscal 2025, up around 2 million from the previous year and highlighting strong demand for overseas travel across western Japan.

Residents of Okinawa were given an early preview on April 27 of a new thrill ride at theme park JUNGLIA OKINAWA in Nakijin Village, Okinawa Prefecture.

A rare spring mirage appeared over Toyama Bay on April 26, creating a striking optical illusion in which a bridge seemed to transform into a flattened diamond shape floating above the water.

Regular service by an electric passenger ferry linking Tokyo's Nihonbashi and Toyosu began on April 26. It marks Japan's first scheduled service using a fully electric passenger vessel operated by a private company.

A new sightseeing train operated by Nankai Electric Railway began service on April 24, connecting Osaka's Namba Station with Koyasan, a World Heritage site, raising expectations for regional tourism growth.

Bear sightings are surging across northeastern Japan in an unusually early spring trend, prompting the fastest issuance on record of bear alerts in multiple prefectures including Aomori and Iwate. Incidents have already left a police officer seriously injured and a member of the Self-Defense Forces attacked.

The planned extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo has come under renewed scrutiny after Japan's Finance Ministry said the project had reached a level at which it should, in principle, be canceled.