Atami Baien, Plum garden in Atami, Japan.
Atami Baien is a plum garden along the Ui River in the city of Atami, featuring around 450 trees from roughly 60 varieties. The trees line both sides of the river, forming a long natural corridor that visitors walk through from one end to the other.
The garden was founded in 1866 by a merchant named Mogi Sobeh and officially opened in 1886 under the direction of Nagayo Sensai. From that point on, it became one of the country's early sites dedicated to collecting and displaying plum tree varieties.
During the annual festival held from January to March, visitors can take part in tea ceremonies and watch taiko drum performances among the trees. The event draws people from nearby towns who come specifically to mark the arrival of the blossoming season together.
The garden is a short walk from JR Kinomiya Station and can also be reached by bus from JR Atami Station. The paths run along the riverbanks and are easy to follow, so no special preparation is needed.
Some of the early-blooming varieties here begin to flower in December, which means the garden opens its season well before most other plum gardens in Japan. Visiting in early winter gives a chance to see the blossoms at a time when most other gardens are still bare.
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