Nanko Ume: Where to Eat, Prices & Hours (Wakayama)

Raised in the town of Minabe, the Nanko plum is a leading variety prized for its plump, thick flesh and tender skin. It stands as a symbol of Wakayama, known as the finest plum country in Japan. The name Nanko is said to come from a local high school that helped select the variety, and it accounts for much of the plum grown in the Minabe and Tanabe area.

Highlights

The glossy, large fruit turns soft and melting when pickled, with savor reaching all the way to the pit. Its range of uses is wide, from plum liqueur and juice to sweets, so a single fruit gives rise to many flavors. Plum growing in Minabe and Tanabe is recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, and the landscape woven by the wooded hills and plum groves is a sight in itself.

Enjoying the Seasons

In early summer the green fruit is harvested and the season of plum making arrives, peaking around June. The plum blossoms, meanwhile, bloom from late January into February, and in early spring the groves are blanketed in flowers. The scene before the harvest is a treasure of its own.

Access and Basic Information

Around Minabe you will find direct sale stands and shops offering plum products. Using JR Minabe Station as a base, touring the groves and a local museum reveals the depth of this growing region. When the blossoms are at their best the groves open to visitors and bustle with crowds.

Practical Travel Notes

Minabe's plum groves open for a limited period timed to the blossoming, usually at their best around February. The opening period and admission vary with that year's bloom, so checking the latest information from the town or the groves before your visit is reassuring. Plum products such as pickled plums and plum liqueur keep well and suit souvenirs, but bottled plum liqueur is heavy, so mind your luggage. With a wide range from lightly salted honey steeped types to the old style sour pickled plums, tasting at a direct sales shop to choose your favorite is recommended. The harvest peak of June is a time to feel the liveliness unique to the growing region.

A Quick Tip

Taste both the old style, lightly salted pickled plum and the honey steeped kind side by side. Even from the same Nanko plum, the impression is entirely different and delightful. Checking the salt and sweetness on the label and choosing to suit your use and taste helps you avoid a mismatch.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Best season: The harvest peaks in June. According to the official Minabe Town website, the town accounts for about 25% of Japan's total ume (Japanese apricot) harvest, and about 80% of that is the Nanko-ume variety.
• Plum blossom viewing: Nanbu Bairin plum grove (Okute, Minabe Town) is open from 8:00 to 17:00. Admission is 500 yen for adults (high school students and older) and 200 yen for children (elementary and junior high school students), with parking at 500 yen per day for an ordinary car. In 2026 the grove closed on March 1, and in 2027 it is scheduled to open from the end of January.
• Public facility where you can taste it: Roadside Station Minabe Ume Shinkokan (538-1 Taniguchi, Minabe Town). Open 9:00-17:00 (last entry to the exhibition room 16:30), closed on Tuesdays (the following day when Tuesday is a public holiday), admission free of charge. Umeboshi (pickled ume) and processed ume products are sold on the third floor. About 2 minutes from the Minabe IC on the Hanwa Expressway.

Note: Opening hours and prices at individual shops vary from store to store.

(Sources: Nanbu Bairin (Ume no Sato Kanbai Association) official website; Minabe Town official website "Agriculture in Minabe Town"; Wakayama Prefecture official tourism website "Roadside Station Minabe Ume Shinkokan")

Information Sources

This article is compiled from Wakayama Prefecture tourism information and information published by each shop. Prices, menus and seasons may change, so please check the official information of each shop for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: A box or bag of umeboshi costs from several hundred yen to just over 1,000 yen
• Where to eat it: Ume specialty shops, souvenir shops and roadside stations around the prefecture, including Minabe and Tanabe
• Best time of day: Daytime. Great as a companion to rice, a snack with sake, or as a gift
• Avoiding the crowds: A classic souvenir that is easy to buy. Ume blossoms are at their best around February
• Combine your visit with: Mail-order umeboshi and umeshu (plum wine), Nanbu Bairin, Senri Beach, Shirahama Onsen