Akatsuka Botanical Garden will open its Suzuka Forest Garden, a research and cultivation farm for weeping plum trees, to the public from Saturday 15 February 2025. Around 200 famous plum trees, centred on the double-flowered, bright red Kureha shidare, will be in bloom with the Suzuka Mountains in the background, heralding the arrival of spring.
The old trees ‘Dragon of Heaven’ and ‘Dragon of Earth’ and the night-time lighting are popular.
celestial dragon (any dragon of genus Draco)
dragons of the earth
The Suzuka Forest Garden aims to preserve and pass on the traditional Japanese pruning technique for weeping plum trees known as ‘tailoring’, in which craftsmen carefully prune each individual weeping plum tree. The trees are all masterpieces cut by master craftsmen, including the Gofuku shidare ‘Ten no Ryu’ and ‘Ji no Ryu’, which are over 100 years old and believed to be the oldest in Japan.
Night Light-Up
During the peak viewing season, the garden is lit up at night. The ethereal world of weeping plum trees lit up like a chandelier, with a view of the mountain ridges in the twilight or in the pitch blackness of the night, is popular as a spectacular and moving view that can only be experienced in this garden.
Plum and whitebait are popular subjects for photographers.
From the second half of the season, there is a pink carpet and pruning demonstrations by craftsmen.
This year, the best time to see the Gofukushidare is expected to start in early to mid-March. Even after the petals have begun to fall, the best time to view the flowers will continue, with petals piling up like a pink carpet. A guided pruning demonstration by a craftsman is also planned for the end of the season.
The exhibition closes at the end of March, when the best viewing season is over.
Research cultivation farm ‘Suzuka Forest Garden’.
| Period: |
15 February (Saturday) to end of March 2025 |
| Location: |
151-2, Yamamoto-cho, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture |
| Opening hours: |
9:00 – 20:30 (when the lights are on during the peak season).
Closes at 16:00 on days when the park is not lit.
Last admission 30 minutes before closing.
Lights up at around 18:00. |
| Admission fee: |
700 – 1,800 yen.
Varies according to flowering season. Half price for elementary school students, free for preschoolers. |
> Suzuka Forest Garden official website.
