Spring Is in the Air at Kairakuen Garden in Northern Japan as Plum Trees Bloom

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:06 JST, February 12, 2026

MITO — The Mito Plum Festival began on Wednesday in Mito at Kairakuen garden, one of Japan’s three great gardens. About 30% of the garden’s roughly 3,000 plum trees are in bloom, heralding the early arrival of spring. The festival runs through March 22.

According to the Kairakuen Park Center, the varieties in bloom include the double-flowered Ichiryu with its pale-pink petals and the bluish-white Tsukikage. The peak viewing period is expected to be from late February to early March.

“I love plum blossoms and have come here many times. The sweet floral scent makes it feel like spring,” said a smiling 60-year-old man from Moka, Tochigi Prefecture, visiting with his wife.

According to the Mito city government, the festival was first held in 1897. The festival was suspended during World War II and resumed in 1947.