As winter fades, the arrival of plum blossoms signals the start of spring in Japan, bringing a burst of color to the landscape. At Chiba Prefecture's Akebonoyama Agricultural Park the plum trees are in full bloom from late February to early March, offering a stunning display of over 100 trees across 25 varieties.
The annual plum festival at the park takes place when the trees are at their best, and the event includes a wide variety of additional activities for visitors to enjoy. Flower arranging classes, market stalls, peony flower sales, and craft exhibitions are all happening on various days during the festival, providing some extra fun.
Admission to the event is free of charge, but please note that some of the hands-on craft classes have associated fees and require booking in advance. The official press release for the event has some information about how to book—we recommend using a browser with auto-translate functionality to do this if you don't speak or read Japanese.
Additionally, please note that the park is closed every Monday. February 24th (Monday) is a national holiday, so the park will be closed the following day (Tuesday, February 25th).
Getting there
Akebonoyama Agricultural Park can be accessed via bus from Abiko Station (North Exit) on the JR Joban Line. The bus travel time is around 15 minutes.
For those who opt to drive, the park is 8 kilometers (approximately 20 minutes driving time) from Kashiwa IC on the Joban Expressway. On-site parking is available.
Kim Bergström @kim.b
Almost 12 years living in Asia. Passionate about Japan's off-the-beaten-path spots, family-friendly travel, flower events (all of them!) and the amazing tea culture here. 🍵🌼🌸
