Hita Oyama Plum Festival in Oita

How did you celebrate this year’s 2021 Spring Equinox? In Oita, the excitement for spring is almost palpable,
with locals reporting early sightings of plum, cherry, and peach flowers blooming in every corner of the
prefecture. While many are still refraining from crowded hanami “flower-viewing” destinations this year, there
are many seeking quieter and crowd-free alternatives to perform this yearly springtime custom safely.

If you’re looking for a safe space to enjoy flower-viewing this year, Hita’s Oyama Ume Festival deserves
undivided attention from hanami-lovers. From mid-February to mid-March, eight hectares of ume plum
trees transform into a pink and white landscape of springtime flowers, attracting many to celebrate
spring’s arrival privately or with friends and family. More than 50 years ago, this mountainous area
of Oyama was full of rice fields before an agricultural initiative transformed this land into an expansive
plum orchard. Over 6,000 plum trees start to bloom as early as February, marking the start of a
month-long event of blossom viewing that will surely get you into the mood of spring festivities in Japan.

Keep an eye open for the green-feathered and white-eyed Meijiro bird, a native species to Oita (and Oita’s
prefectural mascot), and honey bees busy collecting pollen from Oyama’s burgeoning blossoms during your
visit. While hanami is typically associated with sakura cherry blossoms, the lesser-known plum flowers
equally rival its more famous sibling in beauty and charm. With plenty of open space, and free admission and
parking, makes Hita’s Oyama Ume Festival a perfect blossom-viewing destination not just for 2021 but for
any other year to come.

Whatever spring blossoms have reached your corner of the world, we wish you warm and safe spring festivities
this year and look forward to welcoming you to Oita in the future!