Suzuka Forest Garden

Suzuka no Mori Garden is a research and cultivation farm dedicated to preserving and promoting the traditional Japanese horticultural training techniques used for weeping plum trees (shidare-ume). It is open to the public only during the annual "Shidare Ume Festival," held to coincide with the blooming season from late February to late March. The garden gathers weeping plum varieties from across Japan, centered on the representative double-flowered cultivar "Kureha Shidare," and showcases more than 200 celebrated trees that carry on the history and skills of Japanese master gardeners, including some of the largest specimens in Japan. A unique feature is its variable admission fee system, which changes depending on bloom conditions. During peak bloom, opening hours are extended and the garden is illuminated at night, but note that re-entry is not allowed once you leave. It is considered a highly "Instagrammable" spot, and a photo contest is held where visitors post on Instagram with designated hashtags. Although it is in a location that can be difficult to access, direct buses run from Yokkaichi Station (Kintetsu Nagoya Line / JR Kansai Main Line) during the bloom season.