The Echise Bairin is one of the most famous plum groves in the Kanto region. It is located across the Echibe River from the Umezono Shrine, and approximately 1,000 plum trees are planted on an area of about 2 hectares.
Most of these plum trees were planted after World War II, but some of the oldest trees are more than 600 years old and attract people’s attention. The Ume Festival is held from mid-February to late March.
Koshu Plum Grove is a vast plum grove along the Koshibe River, located in Koshu-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama Prefecture. It is known as one of the “Three Great Plum Groves of Kanto” along with Mito Kairakuen and Atami Plum Garden.
This plum grove is said to have started when plum trees were planted in Kosugi Village in Musashi Province during the Nanbokucho Period (about 1,350 years ago) in honor of Sugawara no Michizane, when the shrine was divided from Dazaifu in Kyushu to the current Umezono Shrine.
About 20,000 ume trees are grown in the entire ume grove, and the Koshu Plum Grove is particularly famous for its “Plum Festival,” held on a 2-hectare plot of land within the grove. At the Ume Festival, visitors can enjoy approximately 1,000 ume trees, including old preserved trees and Koshu wild ume.
In the Meiji era (1868-1912), the area attracted attention as a tourist destination, and literary figures such as Nobutsuna Sasaki, Hanabukuro Tayama, and Ujo Noguchi visited the area and wrote poems and poems about its atmosphere.
The Echigo Plum Grove has long been a thriving ume-growing area, and today approximately 25,000 ume trees are cultivated around the ume grove.
In the Meiji era (1868-1912), the Echigo Plum Grove began to attract attention as a tourist destination. In 1900, local volunteers formed the “Old Plum Grove Preservation Association” and began conservation activities.
The following year, in 1901, it was named “Shin Tsukigase Houraku Plum Grove” after the Tsukigase Plum Grove in Nara Prefecture. In 1940, the ume grove became a designated scenic beauty spot in Saitama Prefecture, and in 1955, Umezono Village was incorporated into Koshu Town and officially renamed “Koshu Bairin” (plum grove).
In 2000, Koshu Bairin was selected as one of the “100 Best Plants to Leave Behind in the 21st Century” by the Saitama Shimbun, and has become a source of pride for the local community.
The ume (plum) festival is held every year from mid-February to late March, attracting many tourists. A mini SL train track is also laid in the ume grove.
On certain days, visitors can also enjoy a mini SL train ride. Local traditional performing arts are also performed on the stage.
All day
Ume Festival: 8:30 - 17:00 (season: late February - late March)
No holidays
During the Ume Festival
Admission 400 yen (junior high school students and older)
From Koshoku Station on the Tobu Tojo Line (transfer at Sakado Station on the Tobu Tojo Line) or JR Hachiko Line, take the Kawagoe Kanko Bus bound for Kuroyama. 1 minute walk from the Ume-gurin Iriguchi bus stop.