Okamoto Bairin Park

Introduction

Okamoto Plum Grove Park is formally Okamoto Park, on high ground at the foot of Mt. Rokko in Kobe's Higashinada ward. In the Edo period the saying 'plums at Okamoto, cherries at Yoshino' paired the two famous spots, and large-fruited varieties such as Jugoro-ume were even grown commercially. Floods in 1938 and wartime bombing destroyed much of the grove; a citizen Green Kobe planting campaign began in 1971, and the park was laid out in its present form in 1982. Today some 200 trees in about 40 varieties stand on several terraces of the slope, flowering in succession from mid-February to mid-March, among them a 'flying plum' said to have been gifted by Dazaifu Tenmangu in Fukuoka. A pond, stream, pavilion and benches keep the circuit unhurried. What brings locals back each year is the view: from the upper terraces the Kobe skyline, Osaka Bay and Rokko Island open out together, and on a clear day the far shore is visible, something no flatland plum garden can offer. Entry is free at all hours with no booking, but the park sits inside a residential district, so close the boar gate at the entrance behind you. It is an eight-to-ten-minute uphill walk from Hankyu Okamoto station; wear good shoes and come early for the strongest scent and the thinnest crowds. Outside the plum season it is simply a quiet hillside green space, not worth a special summer trip.

✨ Highlights

🛈 Practical Info