Kishu Plum: Enjoying the World of Ume in Minabe, Japan's Top Plum Producing Region

Wakayama Prefecture is Japan's number one producer of ume (Japanese plum) by harvest volume. The area running from Minabe Town to Tanabe City in particular is the home of the top-grade brand "Kishu Nanko Ume." In spring the plum groves that stretch as far as the eye can see are filled with white blossom, and in early summer comes the fragrant season of ripening. From spectacular plum blossom views to plum products, you can savour the appeal of a trip devoted entirely to ume.

What Is Kishu Ume

The area running from Minabe Town in Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture, to Tanabe City is one of Japan's leading plum-growing regions, described on Minabe Town's official website as "Japan's number one ume town." Above all, "Nanko Ume" is a top-grade brand characterised by thick, soft flesh and small stones. "Nanko Ume" was selected as the finest variety in a variety-unification survey that began in 1950, and was named in honour of the contribution of the horticulture department of Nanbu High School. It is a speciality product that Wakayama takes pride in, nurtured over a long history.

Plum Groves as Far as the Eye Can See

As spring approaches, plum groves including the "Minabe Bairin" in Minabe Town burst into white blossom all at once. The vast groves, described as "a million blossoms at a glance, fragrance for ten ri," are overwhelming, and you are enveloped by plum blossoms covering the mountain slopes and the sweet scent drifting through the air. The landscape of white flowers spreading over gentle hills is truly a spectacle of spring. It is a famous site unique to Wakayama, bustling with visitors who come to enjoy plum-blossom viewing.

Plum Growing and Plum Products

In the Minabe-Tanabe area, the agricultural system centred on ume and binchotan charcoal has been recognised as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. In the early-summer harvest season, the work of picking the plums takes place everywhere. Besides the classic umeboshi (pickled plums), plum products come in great variety - plum wine, plum juice, and confectionery made with plums. There are also facilities where you can try making umeboshi or picking plums, letting you experience the deep world of ume.

The 400-Year-Old "Ume System"

Plum growing in the Minabe-Tanabe area is not simply fruit cultivation. According to the official website of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System "Minabe-Tanabe Ume System," this is an agricultural system that has sustainably produced high-quality plums for 400 years by making use of nutrient-poor, gravelly and easily eroded slopes, arranging plum groves while preserving the firewood-and-charcoal forest. Leaving forest of ubame oak and other trees for firewood and charcoal on the upper part of the slopes protects the mountain, and from that woodland comes Kishu binchotan charcoal - a distinctive mechanism in which plums and charcoal support one another, and which has shaped the very landscape of this region. It was recognised as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in December 2015, and a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the designation was held on October 17, 2025.

When you look out over the plum groves and notice a band of deep green remaining higher up the mountain, that is the firewood-and-charcoal forest. This very layering - a sea of white blossom with a belt of evergreen lying above it - is 400 years of wisdom given visible form.

Photography Tips

A field of white plum blossom tends to come out dark because the camera judges it "too bright." Setting exposure compensation to the plus side brings it closer to the whiteness you remember.

• 🕐 Time of day: Slanting morning light is recommended. The thinness of the petals shows through and the white takes on a soft tone. By contrast, direct light at midday has too much contrast and easily blows out the highlights
• 📸 Composition: Because Minabe Bairin is laid out so that you view the blossom while climbing a slope, a bird's-eye view of the slope from a higher position is easy to shoot. Placing a single blossoming branch out of focus in the foreground creates depth
• 🌤 Weather: On a blue-sky day, include plenty of sky for a contrast of white and blue. On a cloudy day the detail of the flowers comes out more easily, which makes for an elegant shot in its own way
• ⚠️ Note: Most of the plum groves are the orchards of working growers. Pulling branches towards you to take a photograph or entering private land is strictly forbidden. Shoot from the edge of the paths

The Face of Each Season and Places to Stop By

Even after the plum blossom is over, Minabe has sights to see in each season.

• Spring: About 500 Somei Yoshino cherry trees bloom around the Shimanose Dam, and koinobori carp streamers are raised in time with the flowering thanks to the cooperation of local volunteers (there is no dedicated car park, so weekends at peak bloom are extremely crowded. Please refrain from parking on the road)
• Early summer: Around June is the plum harvest. There are also facilities where you can try picking plums or making umeboshi
• Summer: On August 1, the "Kashima Jinja Dedicatory Fireworks Festival" takes place in Minabe Bay (20:00-21:00). Its origin is said to date to 1708 (Hoei 5): when a tsunami struck after the great Hoei earthquake of the previous year, the offshore island of Kashima is said to have split the waves in two and protected the village of Minabe, and in gratitude for that divine favour the villagers began dedicating fireworks from the following year
• Autumn: The autumn festival of Kashima Jinja is held on the third Sunday of October. The festival rites include the "Hanita mikoshi," lion dances, the "Minamimichi yakko procession" (a town-designated intangible folk cultural property, taking part once every three years) and the "Shibasaki futon-daiko"

Worth visiting along with the plum groves is the Ume Shinkokan (Minabe Town / admission free / tel. 0739-74-3663). The history zone on the 1st floor covers the story of ume and the former Nanbu-gawa Village, the ume materials zone on the 2nd floor displays exhibits such as a large panoramic model of the plum groves, and on the 3rd floor, "Ume no Eki Minabe-Kawamura," you can buy local products. To learn about the other leading player supporting the plums, head for the Kishu Binchotan Shinkokan (1267 Kiyokawa, Minabe Town / 8:30-17:00, closed Saturdays, admission free, 50 free parking spaces). Kishu binchotan has a history going back to the Heian period, and Minabe Town boasts production volumes among the highest in Japan.

If you want to head to the coast, there is Senri no Hama, a 1.3km stretch of sandy beach. It is the only section of the Kii-ji route of the Kumano Kodo where you walk along the white sand and green pine beach itself, and a place where travellers on the Kumano pilgrimage of old are said to have marvelled at the vastness of the sea. The deity Kashima Daimyojin of Kashima Jinja, enshrined on the island offshore, is said to have been invited here from Kashima Jingu in Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture) before the Nara period, and the whole island has been regarded as an object of faith.

Best Season and Access

Minabe Bairin usually opens from late January to early March (varying with the flowering conditions). The fruit harvest is around June. For blossom viewing, visiting in early spring is recommended. For access, Minabe Station on the JR Kinokuni Line and similar stations serve as a base; head to the plum groves by bus or car. Combine your visit with sightseeing at Shirahama Onsen or Kumano and enjoy a trip devoted to ume in Japan's number one plum-growing district.

Practical Information

• Best season: The plum blossom is usually from late January to early March. Minabe Bairin (Ume no Sato Kanbai Kyokai) opened from January 31 to March 1 in 2026, and by late February had reached the "final stage (nagori-ume)." The opening and closing dates vary each year with the flowering conditions. The plum harvest is around June.
• Opening period: Minabe Bairin usually opens from late January (official announcements state it is scheduled to open from the end of January in 2027). Opening hours are 8:00-17:00.
• Fees: Admission: adults (high school age and above) 500 yen / children (elementary and junior high school students) 200 yen.
• Access: About 6 minutes by car heading down from Minabe IC. For public transport, use the Ryujin Bus. Congestion is expected at peak bloom, so the official website also recommends using public transport.
• Parking: Per day, 500 yen for cars / 1,500 yen for microbuses / 2,000 yen for large buses. Tour buses should use the dedicated tour-bus car park next to Oshine Park (1235-1 Oshine, Minabe Town; reservation required). During the opening period, tourist vehicles are prohibited on Mikaeri-zaka, so park in a nearby car park and enter the grove on foot.
• Clothing and equipment: You view the blossom by walking up slopes inside the grounds, and it is not possible to drive around the grove. The official website also recommends trainers and comfortable clothing. Early spring in the hills is chilly, so bring warm clothing.

*Most of the plum groves are the orchards of working growers. Please observe orchard etiquette: do not pick fruit or branches, do not enter private land, and do not obstruct the passage of farm vehicles. After closing time, residents and agricultural vehicles move about inside the grounds and no office staff are present, so care is needed if you enter.* *Pets (dogs) may be brought into the grove.*

📚 Sources

Ume no Sato Kanbai Kyokai "Minabe Bairin" official website / Minabe Town official website, "Special products of Minabe Town" and "Agriculture in Minabe Town"

*The above is based on information published by each facility and local government. Hours and fees are subject to change, so please check official sources before visiting.*