Hello. This is Tojo from the staff.
We've been having warm days lately, making me nostalgic for the cold of winter.
Spring is my favorite season, so I'm feeling very excited these days.
Speaking of Kamiyama in spring, "weeping cherry blossoms" are famous, but the Agawa district where I live is a famous plum blossom spot called "Ume no Sato" (Plum Village).
Approximately 16,000 plum trees are grown on the mountain slopes spanning about 30 hectares, and at this time of year, the entire area turns pink. The sweet scent of plum blossoms gently drifts through the air, and it's a time when the Agawa district bustles with activity.
This year, the blossoms opened about 10 days earlier than usual, and it seems like this weekend to next week will be the best time to see them, so I'd like to guide you through it.＾＾
First, you'll be greeted by weeping plum trees at the entrance to Ume no Sato. These are ornamental flowering plums, and local volunteers are said to have planted and cared for them on land that owners who had moved away from town could no longer manage.Although small, the cute and colorful red, white, and pink flowers are a delight to the eyes.
If you go up the road for about 3 kilometers from here, you'll find a plum orchard spreading out on the south-facing slope.
The plum blossom scenery, with the green mountain slopes and old-fashioned houses, is enchanting. The gentle scent of plums drifting by as you walk past is truly healing.
The Agawa district is actually the largest plum producing area in Tokushima Prefecture. Various types of plums are grown, including Oushuku plums, white plums, Nankou plums, and Rinshu plums.
Plums were planted throughout the town as pickled plums for emergency food since before the war. During the plum wine boom that occurred during economic growth after the war, Kamiyama's green plums were even called "green diamonds."
Today, traditional pickled plums, a processed product, are sold as a local specialty under the name "Kamiyama Ruby."
Plums, which color the mountains in spring and bear fruit in early summer, delight our eyes, noses, and mouths to the fullest.
They are something that makes the beginning of the warm season even more exciting.
Life in Kamiyama is surrounded by nature.
Uncertainties continue, but the beauty and strength of nature give us courage.
Unfortunately, the annual plum blossom festival events have been canceled, but you are free to view the blossoms.
We will continue to share updates on Kamiyama's lively atmosphere, with canola flowers and cherry blossoms, on Instagram and Twitter. We hope you'll enjoy spring in Kamiyama there as well!＾＾
