Suzuka Forest Garden

Located in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, this research and cultivation garden works to preserve and pass on traditional techniques for shaping renowned plum trees. Suzuka Forest Garden is home to about 200 notable plum trees, primarily Kureha Shidare specimens shaped through generations of craftsmanship. It opens to the public for a limited period each year when the trees bloom in early spring.

Among the highlights are Tennoryu and Chinoryu, two Kureha Shidare trees that stand about 7 meters tall and are estimated to be over 100 years old. They rank among the largest of their kind in Japan. The garden cultivates about 30 plum varieties, each with distinctive blossoms, including the pale pink Kureha Shidare, the white, cascading flowers of Shirataki Shidare, and the vivid deep-red Kagoshima Beni.

The garden uses the Suzuka Mountains as borrowed scenery and features an observation deck overlooking the grounds. Other attractions complement the blossoms, including symbolic “mitate” representations found in Japanese gardens, such as Crane Island and Turtle Island and Mt. Horai, as well as an area where mist creates a dramatic setting for the garden’s notable plum trees.

The garden is also illuminated during the flowering season, offering nighttime scenery with a different atmosphere from the daytime views. It is a place to experience the beauty of early spring in Japan alongside the artistry of traditional horticulture.