Ume!

Blossom season has arrived in Japan. Here's a list of the ten best spots and the lovely email I got from a contact in Japan:

Dear Friend,

Here in Japan, ume blossom season has come! It is earlier than usual year, because we had several warm days recently. In Japan, ume blooming is the most impressive sign of coming of spring. Because ume blooms even in the cold February, it has been thought to be very auspicious flower. So ume blossom is very usual design motifs of kimono and other Japanese handicraft.
Every year, we noticed ume blossom were blooming in the neighbors and felt the coming of spring, but we don't have memory that we went out purposely to view ume blossoms.

1. Yoshinobaigou ( Aoumeshi, Tokyo)
2. Yugawara Bairin (Yugawara, Kanaga)
3. Kitano-Tenmangu ( Kyoto )
4. Minabe Bairin ( Wakayama )
5.Tsukigase Baikei ( Nara )
6.Dazaofu-Tenmangu ( Fukuoka )
7.Kairakuen ( Mito )
8.Yuuki Shrine ( Tsu )
9.Soga Bairin ( Kanagawa )
10. Sinsyu Ina Baien ( Nagano )