The Sugita Plum Festival

“The Sugita Plum Festival” will be held at Myohoji Temple on Saturday, February 14, and Sunday, February 15, 2026.

During the Tensho period (1573–92), Lord Nobushige Mamiya, then governor of the region, planted many plum trees in the unused lands of Sugita Village, where farming was difficult.
Since then, Sugita has become known as a popular sightseeing spot for its beautiful plum blossoms. Visitors from all over Japan came to admire the scenery, and the area eventually caught the attention of the renowned ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige, who included it in his works as “Plum Grove in Bushu Sugita.”

Please come and enjoy the magnificent view of over 100 plum trees, including the historic weeping plum variety Sho Sui Bai, which was highly admired by Empress Shoken and her mother, Empress Eisho, both members of the imperial family during the Meiji era.

You can also enjoy a variety of performances, such as taiko drumming, songs and dances by Yokohama geisha, the Evening Plum Jazz Festival, Tsugaru shamisen, traditional performing arts such as kagura, and more.

To ensure that international visitors can fully enjoy the event, stage announcements within the temple grounds will be made in both Japanese and English, and English guided tours will be available.