Vegetarian's Japan Guide

The Ultimate Guide to the Plum Blossom Spots in Osaka

If your travel dates to Japan are slightly before the cherry blossom season, don’t be disappointed that you will miss out on the splendid scenery the light pink flowers create. You might be just in time to catch the plum blossoms! In Osaka, there are a couple of spots where you can adore the small flowers that usually have a sweet but elegant fragrance. If it is a large plum blossom grove you visit, the nice scent might attach to your clothes and hair, allowing you to enjoy the flowers a little longer!

The Plum Blossom Posts in Osaka

The spots below are listed by their distance from Osaka Station.

Ōsaka Tenmangū Shrine (大阪天満宮)

In Osaka’s city center, the Ōsaka Tenmangū Shrine is a convenient spot to adore the plum blossom. Close to Japan’s longest shopping arcade, Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street (天神橋筋商店街), around 100 plums were planted for the god enshrined, Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真). The Temma Tenjin Plum Festival (てんま天神梅まつり) and the Bonbai and Sword Exhibition (盆梅と刀剣展) are held from mid-February to the beginning of March each year. Besides the plum trees in the precinct, you can also adore around 50 plum blossom bonsais in the tatami mat-covered room.

Refer to our Ōsaka Tenmangū Shrine article for more information!

Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 梅林)

Osaka Castle is the city’s landmark. The castle park has a vast ground, and the plum grove in the east part of the outer citadel (二の丸) has more than 1,200 plums planted in the 17,000-square-meter space. There are about 105 varieties of plums ranging from early bloomers to late bloomers, so you can enjoy plum blossoms for an extended period from January to March.

What is special about the plum grove in Osaka Castle Park is the narcissuses planted under the plum trees. So, it would be a collaboration between the plums and the narcissuses for you to adore when you get there!

The main plum blossom season at Osaka Castle Park is from mid to late February. From early February to mid-March, the uniquely-looking Lawson in the plum grove is opened and sells various plum-related products.

Tips:
☛ Overlook Osaka Castle Park’s plum grove from Osaka Business Park (大阪ビジネスパーク).
☛ Check with the staff for the plum tree with white and pink flowers.

The castle park’s plum grove started with 880 plums of 22 varieties donated in 1963 by the graduates of Osaka Prefectural Kitano High School (大阪府立北野高校) as a part of the school’s 100th anniversary celebration. Thanks to the donation, the plum grove was opened in 1974.

Besides the plum blossom, Osaka Castle Park is also known as a cherry blossom hunting spot. Around 4,000 cherry trees paint the park in pink between late March and early April. The view of the gorgeous flowers with the castle as the backdrop is just splendid.

How to Get to Osaka Castle Park’s Plum Grove

  • Osaka Castle Park’s plum grove is 10-minute walk from Morinomiya Station (森ノ宮駅).
  • If you get off at Ōsakajō Kōen Station (大阪城公園駅), it is a 15-minute walk to the plum grove.
  • You can also get off the train at Temmabashi Station (天満橋駅) if you take Osaka Metro.

Kōzugū Shrine (高津宮) and Kōzu Park (高津公園)

If you plan to visit Dotonbori at night, visit Kōzugū Shrine in the late afternoon. The shrine, close to arguably Osaka’s most famous tourist spot, is next to a renowned plum blossom spot, Kōzu Park. After making your prayer at the shrine, follow the passageway on the shrine’s east leading to the park’s plum grove (高津梅林). In the north half of Kōzu Park, around 200 plums of 22 verities usually bloom from late February to early March. You will also find around 100 cherry blossoms blooming between late March and early April.

Refer to our Kōzugū Shrine and Kōzu Park article for more information!

Tip: The plum blossoms at Kōzu Park bloom later than other parts of Osaka city because the trees are mostly in the shade during the day.

Hiraoka Shrine (枚岡神社)

Nestled in a sacred area at the foot of Mt. Ikoma (生駒山麓) bordering the Nara Basin, Hiraoka Shrine is known as Kawachi Province’s Ichinomiya (河内国一之宮). It means the shrine was the most influential shrine in the Kawachi Province. The southern part of the Hiraoka Shrine’s precinct is where the plum grove is. The Hiraoka Plum Grove, which consists of around 500 plums of 23 varieties, is where the locals visit for the plum blossoms from mid-February to early March. You can adore the flowers from the top of the hill, which also overlooks Osaka’s cityscape.

Tip: The Plum Blossom Festival was held at 10 am on the 1st of March in 2024.

Refer to our Hiraoka Shrine article for more information, including its Laughing Ritual!

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Dōmyōji Tenmangū Shrine (道明寺天満宮)

Plum-Grove-at-Domyoji-Tenmangu-Shrine-Fujiidera-Osaka-Japan
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If you want to receive blessings for academic success, visit Dōmyōji Tenmangū in Osaka’s Fujidera City. Like most Tenmangūs in Japan, plum blossoms can be found in the shrine’s precinct. In addition, the plum flower is the crest of the shrine!

The plum grove at Dōmyōji Tenmangū is behind the main worship hall. Between mid-February and early March, approximately 800 plums of 80 varieties will be blooming. In addition, the Plum Blossom Bonsai Exhibition is usually held from the end of January to February. A Plum Blossom Ritual is held on the 25th of February each year.

Refer to our Doumyoji article for more information!

Tamateyama Park (柏原市立 玉手山公園)

If you plan to travel to Osaka with young children in spring or autumn, Tamateyama Park is a good spot for a family trip. The municipal park that will keep the youngsters occupied is where the locals head to the park for plum blossoms from mid-February to early March. The park is also a spot for hunting fall foliage.

In addition, Tamateyama Park was one of the main battlefields in the Summer Campaign of the Siege of Osaka.

Kōzen Park (荒山公園)

Kōzen Park is best known for its beautiful plum grove. The park has a ground area of 170,000 square meters, and 27,000 square meters are covered by over 1,300 plum trees of around 50 varieties. Starting in 1984, it took two years for all the plum trees to be planted. Some trees are so tall now that they are over four meters!

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Except for the earlier varieties, most of Kōzen Park’s plum trees usually blossom between late February and early March. The flowers attract many locals to adore the small flowers on the trees. While the plum blossoms look less amazing than the cherry blossoms, being surrounded by the nice scent of the flowers is what you won’t get from its counterpart. Because the park’s promenade is well-maintained, it is wheelchair-friendly.

A plum blossom festival is usually held when the flowers are on the tree.

From late March to early April when the 700 cherry blossoms bloom, Kōzen Park is also a less-known cherry blossom hunting spot. Other flowers in the park include the following.

  • Wintersweet: early January
  • Dogwood: mid-March
  • Lotus: mid-August

The reasons that there are so many plum trees planted in Kōzen Park is because of the god enshrined in Tajihayahime Shrine (多治速比売神社). The god of the shrine is Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真), a famous scholar in the Heian period. The plum blossom is his favorite flower.

Refer to our Dazaifu Tenman-gū article to learn more about Sugawara no Michizane’s life story.

How to Get to Kōzen Park

Tip: If you plan to take a bus to Kōzen Park, head north for the plum grove after getting off the bus. From the plum grove, you can head south for Tajihayahime Shrine’s torii gate and approach/stairs. The bus stop that you get off is just east of the shrine.

  • Kōzen Park is a 25-minute walk from Izumigaoka Station (泉ヶ丘駅).
    • Refer to HERE for a photo guide to how to get to the park from the station.
    • For the returning route, refer to HERE.
  • You can also take Nankai Bus route 102 (Sakaihigashi Station (堺東駅)) or 212 (bound for Tsukuno Station (津久野駅)) from the station and get off at Miyayamadai Ni-cchō (宮山台2丁).

Hattori Ryokuchi Park (服部緑地)

On the way to Kobe, Hattori Ryokuchi Park is another plum blossom hunting spot in Osaka. The park that was chosen to be one of the Top 100 Urban Parks in Japan is best known for its plum grove and water park. The cherry blossom and fall foliage scenery here is also amazing.

From late February to early March, the 200 plum trees of around 20 varieties bloom.

Refer to our Hattori Ryokuchi Park article for more information!

Expo ’70 Commemorative Park (万博記念公園)

Outside of Osaka’s city center, the Expo ’70 Commemorative Park is the best plum blossom hunting spot. During the Plum Blossom Expo Festival (万博公園梅まつり), various events are held, including plum wine tasting. Plum-flavored sweets will also be on sale at various temporary stalls.

Among the many trees in the park, around 680 are plum trees of 140 varieties. They can be found in the Japanese Garden and the Natural and Cultural Garden (自然文化園). In the Japanese Garden, you can adore the plum blossoms at the tea house with a bowl of matcha tea and a traditional confectionery. The tea house is also where the Nagahama Bonbai Exhibition (長浜盆梅展) is held. You can see a couple of plum bonsais in the tatami-matted room.

Refer to our Expo ’70 Commemorative Park article for more information!

Suigetsu Park (水月公園)

Suigetsu Park is a multipurpose open space and resting area for people in Ikeda. The Seihōtei Pavilian (斎芳亭) by the pond was gifted by Suzhou City in China in 1981, making the park resembles a Chinese garden. With around 250 plums of 15 varieties planted, the park is Ikeda City’s top plum blossom spot. So, if you are in Osaka between late February and mid-March, visit Suigetsu Park to enjoy the gorgeous flowers and their elegant fragrance!

Refer to our Ikeda City article for more information about Suigetsu Park!

Okami Shrine (意賀美神社)

Between Osaka’s city center and Kyoto, Okami Shrine is the representative plum blossom spot in Hirakata City. The shrine atop a hill has several heart icons decorating the plaque on its torii gate, which is the first photo spot of the shrine.

The plum grove at Okami Shrine has around 110 pink and white plums. Among them, there is one that has flowers having both white and pink colors. The type of plum was thus named Genpei Sakiwake (源平咲き分け), which means Genpei equally bloomed. The Gen and Hei clans were the two most representative samurai clans in the Heian period. The two families were once equally powerful, just like half of the flower is pink and the other half is white.

Okami Shrine’s plum blossom season is between late February and early March.

Moreover, you can get a panoramic view of Hirakata’s cityscape and the Yodo River (淀川) from the observation park (御茶屋御殿跡展望広場) next to Okami Shrine.

Tips:
☛ The Genpai Sakiwake plum variety usually blooms towards the end of the plum blossom season at Okami Shrine.
☛ If you read Japanese, check Hirakata City’s Twitter account for the date of the Plum Grove Festival (梅林園まつり). The 2024 festival was held on the 3rd of March. Red bean soup and amazake wine were served. Several outdoor tea ceremonies were also held from 11 am.

About Okami Shrine

Okami Shrine’s establishment date is unknown, but it has a long history. What is known is the shrine was built for the locals to pray for the recovery and elimination of flood damage and safe sailing.

The most special thing about Okami Shrine is the second and the third steps of the main worship hall’s staircases. Apparently, the magnetic field is reversed here! So, pilgrims visit Okami Shrine to pray for illness recovery and stay healthy.

Furthermore, there is an ema plaque for storage (数学の絵馬) in Okami Shrine’s museum. It is called Sangaku (算額). Mathematicians offered the plaque to the god here to pray for improvement in their skills. Note that you can hardly find any numbers on the wooden plaque. The prayer, written mostly in Chinese characters, was carved.

How to Get to Okami Shrine

Okami Shrine is a 10-minute walk from Keihan’s Hirakata-shi Station (枚方市駅).

Yamadaike Park (山田池公園)

In addition to Okami Shrine, Yamadaike Park is another must-visit spot for plum blossoms when you visit Hirakata City in Osaka. The good news is there is no need to climb staircases to see the plums! The water park has 320 plums of around 50 varieties planted. When the plum blossoms are in full bloom (usually around mid to late February), food trucks and temporary stalls make your visit more entertaining.

Besides the plum blossoms, other kinds of flowers can be found here. So, refer to our Yamadaike Park article for more information!

Plum Grove at Yamadaike Park Hirakata Osaka Japan
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Nishikori Park (錦織公園)

Nishikori Park is a huge park filled with vegetation south of Habikino Hills (羽曳野丘陵). Many locals visit the hilly park to observe wildflowers, wild birds, and insects in the park’s forests and small rivers. You will also find a traditional house surrounded by tea plantations, vegetable fields, and a water mill. So, if you want to timeslip to the rural Osaka a few centuries ago, add Nishikori Park to your itinerary. You will be amazed by the rural landscape here.

The park is divided into several areas. The Ume no Sat (梅の里) is where you will find approximately 300 plum trees of 25 varieties blossoming between late February and early March.

Nishikori Park is also a cherry blossom spot because of the cherry trees that blossom between late March and early April in Sakuraki no Sato (桜木の里). From the observation deck close to Tsutsuji no Oka (ツツジの丘), you can see the azalea blooming beautifully in front of you from late April to early May.

If you travel with young children, they will enjoy the outdoor playgrounds in Yancha no Sato (やんちゃの里) and Suihen no Sato (水辺の里). In February 2024, new play equipment was added to Sakuraki no Sato.

Refer to HERE for for Nishikori Park map.

Tip: Adult bicycles can be rented from the park office from 9 am. Please return them by 4:30 pm. The cost is 500 yen per day. Eclectic-assisted bicycles can be rented for 600 yen per day. Just note that the terrain is hilly, so cycling here can be tiring.

How to Get to Nishikori Park

  • Nishikori Park is a 20-minute walk from Nankai’s Takidanifudō Station (滝谷不動駅).
  • You can also take Kintetsu train and get off at Takidani Station (滝谷駅).

Kanshin-ji Temple (観心寺)

When you visit Kanshin-ji, you will find its plum grove on your left once you pass the Sanmon Gate (山門). The plum blossom here is one of the reasons that the temple was chosen to be a Flower Temple (花の寺) in the Kansai region. The scent of the plum blossoms will make your visit extra pleasant when the flowers bloom between late February and early March. Moreover, the vegan cuisine at Kanshinji KU-RI (観心寺KU-RI) next to the temple is incredible!

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Refer to our article on Kanshin-ji for more information!

Osaka Garden of Floral Culture (大阪府立花の文化園)

Osaka Garden of Floral Culture is in Kawachinagano City (河内長野市). It was opened in 1990 as a spot for locals to relax and increase communication opportunities while learning about various types of flowers.

In the park’s plum garden, approximately 340 plum trees of 90 varieties will bloom between mid-February and early March. During the plum blossom season, the popular event, Ume-kota (梅コタ), is held. During the festival, kotatsu and tents are set up, allowing you to adore the flowers while keeping warm.

For more information, refer to our Osaka Garden of Floral Culture article!

Izumi Recycle Environment Park (和泉リサイクル環境公園)

Izumi Recycle Environment Park is a great example of how we can transform a wasteland into a spot people love visiting throughout the year. The 76,000-square-meter park used to be a landfill for industrial waste. Thanks to the local contribution project of Daiei Kankyo Co Ltd (大栄環境グループ), Izumi City in Osaka has had a park filled with gorgeous flowers, including plum blossoms, since 2003.

The vast park has several areas, including a Japanese garden, a multipurpose field, and numerous flowerbeds, making it the ideal spot for the locals to relax and interact. While recycled building materials were used to construct the facilities in Izumi Recycle Environment Park, the quality of the buildings here is still superb. Not just the buildings, the flower fertilizer used in the park was made by processing leftover food from restaurants and supermarkets.

From early February to early March, many visit Izumi Recycle Environment Park for the plum blossoms. Among the 230 plum trees, the park is especially known for its weeping plums.

In addition to the flowers, visit the Orange House (オレンジハウス) for additive-free potpourri, accessories, and handmade jams from the farmer. If you visit Izumi Recycle Environment Park on weekends (excluding January and August), the farmer’s market will also be open!

Izumi Recycle Environment Park’s Flowering Calendar

  • Japanese Narcissus: January
  • Plum blossoms: early February to early march
    • Blooming sequence: Red plums -> Nankoubai plums -> weeping plums
  • Rape blossoms: March
  • Trumpet daffodils: March to early April
  • Iceland poppies: March to April
  • Moss phlox: April to early May
  • Tulips: April to early May
  • Roses: May to June and October to early November
  • Lavender: June
  • Sunflowers: August
  • Cosmos: October to early November

Izumi Recycle Environment Park’s Opening Hours and Access Information

  • Izumi Recycle Environment Park is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm except Mondays and from the end of December to the beginning of January.
  • It is best to drive to the park. Parking at the park’s car park is free.
  • To get to Izumi Recycle Environment Park by public transport, get off at Izumi-Chūō Station (和泉中央駅) operated by Semboku Rapid Railway (泉北高速鉄道). Then, take a Nankai Bus bound for Makiosan-guchi/Chichioni (和泉⻘葉台・槙尾⼭⼝・⽗⻤) from bus stop no. 2 and get off at Noke (納花). Izmi Recycle Environment Park is then a 15-minute walk.
    • Note the road to the park from the bus stop is narrow. So, you might feel dangerous as cars will drive past next to you.

Kinyūji’s Plum Grove (金熊寺梅林)

If you land at the Kansai Airport between late February and early March, don’t jump on the train straightaway for Osaka’s city center. The plum blossoms close to Kinyūji might be blooming beautifully upon your arrival. So, how about starting your trip by detouring to the small temple for the plum blossoms up the hill?

Refer to our Kinyūji’s Plum Grove for more information!

Visit the Plum Blossom Spots in Kyoto

Aodani Bairin Plum Blossom Festival Joyo Kyoto Japan
Click the photo to discover the plum blossom spots in Kyoto!

Regardless the overtourism problem, Kyoto is undoubtably Japan’s most popular tourist destination. The ancient capital of Japan has so much to offer that many people are enchanted by its charms. If you plan to visit Kyoto in early spring, there are several spots for you to add to your itinerary to enjoy the seasonal flower, plum blossoms! Many of them are in the city center, saving you time spent on traveling.

Refer to our article on The Plum Blossom Spots in Kyoto for more information!

The Plum Blossom Spots in Hyōgo Prefecture

Most international tourists would visit Hyōgo Prefecture for Kobe. While the port city can be easily accessed from Osaka or Kyoto, the tourist attractions are usually packed, especially during the flowering seasons. So, exploring other parts of the prefecture would be a great idea if you don’t want to be pushed around. While some of them can be harder to get to, your effort will be worth it!

For more information about where to adore the flowers, refer to our article on The Plum Blossom Spots in Hyōgo Prefecture!

Amagasaki Castle Ruins Park and Plum Blossoms Hyogo Japan
Click the photo to discover the plum blossom spots in Hyōgo Prefecture!

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