Available in bars, izakayas and wherever alcohol is sold, umeshu is a liqueur with a unique taste of Japan.

If you are looking for a quiet place to view the ume, or plum blossoms, and you are visiting Yamanashi prefecture, Furouen in Sakaori would be a fine choice.

A visit to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shinto shrine from early February to mid-March is breathtakingly beautiful. Planted throughout the shrine grounds are over 6,000 flowering plum trees! Red, pink and white sweetly-scented blossoms permeate the grounds with amazing color and intoxicating scents celebrating the coming of spring!