Plum Blossoms at Kai-raku-en

High on a hill overlooking the town of Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture, one hundred kilometers northwest of Tokyo, there's a plum orchard shouting, "Do not despair!  Spring will soon be here!"

More than 3,000 ume (plum) trees have been planted here since 1841.  Kairakuen, one of the three most acclaimed gardens in Japan, was the brainchild of Tokugawa Nariaki, the ninth Lord of Mito.  Kairaku means "to share pleasure with people" and one of the significant aspects of this garden is that it was always meant to be shared with the common folk rather than reserved for the nobility's enjoyment.

We meant to visit Kairakuen on February 15 but a dusting of snow that morning scotched that idea. Thank God for that snowfall since postponing our adventure for a week landed us in Mito during the annual Plum Festival.

Where there's a festival, there is always festival food.  The paths leading to the garden were littered with vendors offering all sorts of tasty treats. Alas, there were not any potatornadoes to be found, but a fried beef cutlet and plum-flavored ice cream consoled my taste buds. 

Steel yourself. You'll be seeing at least three more posts somehow related to Kairakuen.