Atami Plum Garden

Located along the Atami Kaido (Prefectural Route 11) on the mountain side in the central part of downtown Atami, this urban park is said to offer the earliest-blooming plum blossoms and the latest fall foliage in Japan, and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Atami City.

The park covers 4.4 hectares, spread out on a gentle slope, and is beautifully planted with many plants, including 469 ume trees of 60 varieties.

It has a history of more than 100 years, and various monuments and buildings have been erected in the park.

Atami is known for its hot springs and ume (Japanese apricots)

The garden is also known throughout Japan for having the earliest blooming plum blossoms in Japan and the latest autumn foliage in Japan.

The garden is beautifully planted with 272 early-blooming plum trees, 104 mid-blooming plum trees, 96 late-blooming plum trees, 380 maple trees, and 134 pine trees and camphor trees.

Red and white plum trees are skillfully arranged across the Hatsukawa River. The garden is also home to many azaleas and maples, and the season changes with the fresh greenery, early summer flowers, and autumn foliage.

Early-blooming ume (Japanese apricot) trees begin to bloom at the end of the year and are at their best during the ume (plum) festival. Please feel the early arrival of spring.

During the Plum Blossom Festival, souvenir stores will be open in the park. Various events are held mainly on Sundays and national holidays, such as Geigo-ren entertainment, singing shows, and free amazake (sweet sake) service.

During the Momiji Matsuri (Japanese Maple Festival), not only can you enjoy viewing the autumn leaves during the daytime, but also “Footbath in the Park”, “Atami Plum Garden Momiji Matsuri Photo Contest”, “Momiji Light-up” at night, and “Atami Night Tour Plan with Sparkling Lights” will be held.

History

The history of Atami Plum Garden dates back to 1885. Nagayo Sensai of the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the order of Iwakura Tomomi, built Japan’s first hot spring sanatorium “Kyukaikan” next to Oyu Intermittent Spring.

In conjunction with this facility, he proposed the need for a walking park, and with the cooperation of Mogi Sobei, a wealthy merchant in Yokohama, the Atami Plum Garden was opened in 1886 (Meiji 19).

In 1888 (Meiji 21), it was incorporated into the imperial estate as an annex to the 噏滊館, but after the war it became state property.

In 1960, the land was sold to Atami City free of charge under the Atami International Tourism, Hot Springs, and Cultural City Construction Law.

In 2008, the park was renovated with private funds donated by Minoru Otsuka (founder of Otsuka Shokai). This work has made the park even more beautiful.

Facilities, Architecture, Monuments, and Places of Interest

Plum Garden Five Bridges

There are five bridges in the park, called “Five Bridges in Plum Garden”, which cross the Hatsukawa River that runs through the park.

Koufu Bridge
Chujokyo Bridge
Shuangbi Bridge
Yingyuekyo Bridge
Zanka Bridge

In 2009, the Umezono Bridge was completed as a connecting bridge between the Sawada Masahiro Memorial Museum of Art and the Korean Garden further north.

Six Famous Trees in Ume-en

There are the following six famous trees in the Ume-en.

Rootless plum tree
Koyo Ume (memorial plum tree)
Ishiwari sakaki
Koshikake zelkova
Mitsugokusu camphor tree
Kan’ichi and Omiya plum blossoms

Monuments and Sculptures

There are various monuments and sculptures in the plum garden.

Monument of Mogi’s Plum Garden: This monument describes the history of the creation of the plum garden, which was compiled by Nagayo Sensai, an advocate of the garden’s creation. The seal was handwritten by Hirobumi Ito.
Shinshuzan Shinsha Monument: It describes the reason why the medical founder Hippocrates and the mountain god were enshrined together at the mountain shrine.
Monument to Keijiro Amamiya: A monument honoring Keijiro Amamiya, a businessman who built the Toso Jinkansha Railway.
Statue of Yuji Komatsu: Statue of Yuji Komatsu, the mayor of Ume-en at the time (1960) when it was disposed of by the government. It was created by Masahiro Sawada.
Monument in memory of Shinpei Nakayama: A monument in memory of composer Shinpei Nakayama.
Monument in honor of Minoru Otsuka: Monument in honor of Minoru Otsuka, a businessman who donated private funds for the restoration and renewal of the plum garden.

Haiku Monuments

There are many haiku monuments in the Plum Garden.

Matsuo Basho: “Plum blossoms are fragrant and the sun rises on the mountain road.
Takeda Yingtang “Summer is already overflowing, the tide is swift.
Hatano Mitsuyu, “Moonlight Crashes in the Stream, No River Deer” (in Japanese)
San’yu Axe: “Is it a hood that walks along the paths of the three worlds?
Ishida Harumasa “Plum blossoms in the plum garden, Deyosei in the village of Yuami-no-Sato” (Japanese poem)
Eito Shiranai “A single plum blossom, a southern branch, and another one” (Japanese poem)

Others

Sawada Masahiro Memorial Museum of Art:
This museum features representative works by Masahiro Sawada, a sculptor from Atami and recipient of the Order of Culture. The museum is located northwest of the plum garden, facing Prefectural Road No. 11 (Atami Kaido).
Ume Waterfall:
An artificial waterfall located on the east side of the Sawada Masahiro Memorial Museum of Art. It is 13 m high and 28.5 m wide.
Yama Shrine:
A small shrine located southeast of the Sawada Masahiro Memorial Art Museum.
Yasuragi Tower:
A tower dedicated to the war dead, located southeast of the shrine.
Central Square:
A plaza further southeast of Yasuragi Tower or northwest across the Hatsukawa River from the main entrance in the south.
Tokiwaki Yokan Store:
A Japanese confectionary store operated by the city’s long-established Japanese confectionary store, Tokiwaki Yokan Ten Sohonten, which opens a store in the center of the Plum Garden only during the Plum Festival and the Momiji Festival.
Korintei:
A Japanese-style public facility located in the northeastern part of the plum garden. The south side is the entrance to the eastern part of the plum garden.
Nakayama Shinpei Memorial Hall:
The memorial hall for composer Shinpei Nakayama is located north of the Korin-tei Pavilion. 1935, Nakayama built this house as his villa in Nishiyama-cho, where he spent the rest of his life after being evacuated during the war. 1962, JVC took over the house and opened it as the Nakayama Shinpei Memorial Hall, but due to its aging, JVC decided not to continue the opening to the public. The Atami City Music Federation organized a petition campaign to preserve the building. Atami City also decided that it would be difficult to maintain the building in its current location. Later, Nakano City in Nagano Prefecture approached the city about transferring the building, but it was eventually moved to the Atami Plum Garden.
Korean Garden:
Located to the north of the Nakayama Shinpei Memorial Museum, this area was created in 2001 to commemorate the September 23, 2000 Japan-Korea Summit held in Atami City and the visit of then Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and President Kim Dae-jung to the Plum Garden the following day.
Footbath:
During the “Plum Blossom Festival” and “Maple Blossom Festival,” footbaths are offered at the far end of the Plum Garden, north of the Korean Garden.

Events

Atami Plum Blossom Festival (early January to early March)
Firefly Viewing Evening (early June)
Atami Plum Garden Maple Festival (late November - early December)