The Sugita Plum Festival

Every winter, Yokohama’s Sugita district celebrates the Sugita Plum Festival, an event that revives the memory of one of the Kanto region’s most famous plum blossom destinations.

Sugita Plum Grove was once renowned as the premier spot for plum blossom viewing in eastern Japan. During the Edo period, more than 36,000 plum trees spread across the hills of Sugita, drawing poets, scholars, and even members of the imperial family. Celebrated in literature and art — including Utagawa Hiroshige’s ukiyo-e “Plum Grove in Sugita, Musashi Province” — the grove symbolised seasonal beauty and cultural refinement. However, salt damage and urban development beginning in the Showa era gradually erased the grove from the landscape. Today, it lives on as the legendary “phantom plum grove”. The Sugita Plum Festival is dedicated to reviving its spirit and sharing its story with new generations.

The festival is held at Myōhōji Temple, once the very centre of the historic plum groves. Around 100 plum trees bloom across the temple grounds, including the celebrated “Shōsui Plum”, a graceful weeping plum admired by Empresses Eishō and Shōken during the Meiji era. During the festival, visitors can also access a normally restricted mountaintop viewpoint overlooking Tokyo Bay — an evocative spot featured in Hiroshige’s artwork. This special opening allows guests to experience the atmosphere of the former plum grove as it once was.

A Stage Alive with Tradition and Modern Culture

In front of the temple’s main hall, a special stage hosts a vibrant program that bridges past and present. Performances include songs and dances by the Yokohama Geisha Group, recreating the lively geisha culture of Isogo from the Edo period through the early Showa era; Kagura, a traditional Shinto performing art; a powerful ensemble of 30 Japanese taiko drums; and a live performance representing modern Yokohama culture, featuring a special appearance by local reggae singer Chozen Lee.

The festival also showcases wind ensemble performances by four local elementary and junior high schools, along with an exhibition corner introducing the history of Sugita Plum Grove. Together, these elements create two immersive days of history, music, and local culture experienced through all five senses.

Beyond plum blossom viewing, the festival offers a wide range of experiences, including tea ceremony experiences within the temple grounds; sales of plum juice and collaborative products inspired by the legendary Sugita plum; a lively food court with more than 10 food trucks and stalls; family-friendly activities such as the “Sugita Plum Quiz Rally” for children; and a picture-story performance titled “The Tale of the Plum Grove”.

To ensure accessibility for international visitors and foreign residents, stage programs will be conducted in both Japanese and English, with English-language guides provided by the Kanagawa Volunteer Interpreters Group (KSGG).