Ume (Japanese Plum)

Certainly, cherry blossoms are very famous and beautiful, but there are many beautiful flowers in Japan.

Sceneries change according to seasons.
And it’s already spring in Japan. It’s getting warmer day by day.
About 1 month before cherry blooms, Japanese plum blooms.
Here is a plum tree blooming in my garden.

And I introduce 2 famous plum-groves near my place (Kansai area).

< Minabe plum-grove > https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=%E5%8D%97%E9%83%A8%E6%A2%85%E6%9E%97&num=100&hl=ja&newwindow=1&safe=off&rlz=1T4ADRA_jaJP435JP520&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=-MoyUZyEO8-iiAf7hYDYDA&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1291&bih=928

<Tsukigase plum-grove > https://www.google.co.jp/search?hl=ja&newwindow=1&safe=off&rlz=1T4ADRA_jaJP435JP520&biw=1291&bih=928&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=%E6%9C%88%E3%83%B6%E7%80%AC%E6%A2%85%E6%9E%97&oq=%E6%9C%88%E3%83%B6%E7%80%AC%E6%A2%85%E6%9E%97&gs_l=img.3..0j0i24l8.148690.151516.0.152412.11.11.0.0.0.0.81.707.11.11.0…0.0…1c.1j4.5.img.EotWA1ls2a8

Ume is used for pickled ume. We Japanese like to eat them. We put them into Bento (lunch box), Onigiri (rice ball) or we put them on a dining table so that anyone can eat with rice at any time.