Enjoy driving via a roadside station! 7 plum viewing spots in Kyushu in 2025!

Roadside Station Stopover Course
2025Seven plum viewing spots in Kyushu

Plum blossoms signal the arrival of spring.
The overwhelming plum grove of old trees at the historic site, planted to harvest the ume fruit, is also a sight to behold.
Why don't you go and enjoy the scent of ume blossoms wafting on the wind and the pretty blossoms opening?

The best time to see the flowers changes depending on the weather and other factors. Please check in advance before visiting.
*Please note that some ume groves where ume berries are harvested have a set period during which they are open to the public.

Tanigawa Plum Grove → Roadside Station Tachibana

Plum grove in Tachibana-cho, Yame City, where ume (plum) trees are grown

Tanigawa Plum Grove is one of the best plum groves in Kyushu and is said to be one of the three best plum orchards in Kyushu. The vast ume grove, with approximately 20,000 trees planted, is situated on a hillside, and the white ume trees in full bloom on the gentle slope are beautiful.
During the event, visitors can also enjoy approximately 3,000 bamboo lanterns during the daytime at the "Bamboo Light Fantasy World" (for a fee), which is located in a wine cellar at the venue.

Please note.
The Tanigawa Plum Grove is the private property of plum growers and is open only during the plum blossom viewing event.
*Temporary parking lots and shuttle buses will be available for access to the venue.

Ushio Plum Grove → Roadside Station Shiroishi

Famous for plum blossoms since the end of the Edo period

A historic place known for its ume plum blossoms since the end of the Edo period.
About 5,000 ume (plum) trees are grown on a vast area of about 22 hectares centering on Mount Ushio, about 80 meters above sea level, located in the western part of Ogi City. The summit of the mountain commands a panoramic view of the Saga Plain, and on a clear day, Unzen can be seen in the distance.
The southwestern area is a spectacular spot where white plum trees look like a white carpet. Ushio Shrine, with a history of 1,200 years, is also worth seeing at the foot of the mountain.
*Please use the temporary parking lot and shuttle bus on the days of the Ume Festival.

Original plum grove, Koumaen (Koumaen) → Roadside Station Nagasaki Kaido Suzudatoge

A place of rest and relaxation created by the locals

The original plum grove "Torama-en" in Matsubara-cho, Nagasaki City, a village of planted trees, is a resting place created by the local people.
The place is a popular destination for visitors to enjoy the ume (Japanese apricot) season. During the ume season, which heralds the arrival of spring, visitors can enjoy approximately 400 ume trees of 140 varieties, including white, red, and weeping ume. The blooming time differs depending on the variety, so visitors can enjoy the flowers from the end of January to the beginning of March.

Yoshino Plum Garden → Roadside Station Mie

One of Oita Prefecture's representative plum blossom viewing spots

Yoshino Plum Garden" is one of Oita Prefecture's most famous plum blossom viewing spots. Visitors can enjoy approximately 450 plum trees, including Bungo ume, Aoki ume, Shirokaga ume, Kanko ume, and Garyu ume. It is said that the Yoshino Plum Garden began when a branch of a plum tree from Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine (Fukuoka Prefecture) was brought back to Japan.
Garyubai" is the representative of Yoshino Plum Garden. The name "Garyubai" comes from its resemblance to a dragon lying on the ground.
Every year from mid-February to mid-March, the "Yoshino Plum Blossom Festival" is held, featuring Garyubai Daiko drumming, Yoshino stick fighting, the Sayanagi lion dance, Sumo Jinku, tea ceremonies, local Shinto music and dance, and more.

Hitoyoshi Plum Garden → Hitoyoshi Roadside Station

A place closely associated with the city flower "ume" (Japanese apricot)

Approximately 4,600 ume (Japanese apricot) trees of the white lineage (Shirokaga Shirokaga) with beautiful large single blossoms, the blue axis (Aojiku) with beautiful red and scarlet blossoms, and the white peach lineage (Yushuku Oshuku) are in full bloom on an 8-hectare hillside. The contrast with the surrounding mountains makes this a beautiful spot for plum blossom viewing.
The town is closely associated with the plum tree, which has been used as the family crest of the Sagara family, the lords of the Higo Hitoyoshi domain for 700 years since the Kamakura period (1185-1333), and is now the "city flower. In late May, the area is open to the public for ume picking.

Yunomiya no Zarome → Roadside Station Takaoka Vitamin Museum

Designated as a national natural monument and more than 600 years old

Designated as a national natural monument, the ume (Japanese apricot) garden is over 600 years old.
It is said that the original single plum tree grew horizontally to form a new branch, giving it its present appearance. It is also called "Garyubai" (literally "lying dragon plum") because of its resemblance to a dragon crawling on the ground.
There are various theories about the name "Zarome," including that it was named after a type of plum called "Zaromi," and that it was named "Zarome" after a dispute between the Sadohara and Takanabe clans over ownership of a plum grove during the Edo period, when the two clans argued over the ownership of the grove.
Every year in early February, the event "Shintomi Burabura Mono-Yusan" is held, with stage events, stalls, and lights.

Garyubai Plum at Fujikawa Tenjin → Roadside Station Akune

55 stocks are designated as national natural monuments

Fujikawa Tenjin enshrines Sugawara Michizane, a well-known god of learning. Legend has it that after Michizane was left to Dazaifu, he fled further and retreated to Fujikawa Kitano, where he died. There are approximately 300 plum trees in the precincts, 55 of which are designated as national natural monuments.
Garyubai" is called "Garyubai" because the trunk of the tree looks like a dragon lying on the ground, and its tasteful branches delight viewers.