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The Hachioji Matsuri is Hachioji's biggest event of the year. Held during the first weekend (Fri-Sun.) of Aug., it is basically a festival of ornate floats paraded around the main streets near JR Hachioji Station.
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From the Edo Period, the festival was originally held by two local shrines, the Hachiman Yakumo Shrine and Taga Shrine. Both shrines are still involved, but today the festival is more of a community event organized by a large group of local organizations.
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I went on the second day years ago, and on the third day on Aug. 9, 2009. The second day features a parade of the 19 floats. The festival attracted over 600,000 people during the three days in Aug. 2009.
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The second day also has a taiko drumming contest for the Kanto region.
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Taiko drummer at Hachioji Matsuri. She was very good.
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Taiko drummer at Hachioji Matsuri.
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In the evening on the second day of Hachioji Matsuri is a large folk dance parade called Minyo Nagashi during 4 pm to 6 pm. 民踊流し
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Minyo Nagashi folk dancing at Hachioji Matsuri, Tokyo.
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JR Hachioji Station is decorated with Hachioji Matsuri paper lanterns. The station also had a festival information booth where you could obtain free festival maps/pamphlets and information (in Jaoanese).
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JR Hachioji Station is a very busy train station.
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Near the train station is this diagonal road called "Yu Road" leading to the Koshu Kaido (Route 20) main road where the festival is held.
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Yu Road is a shopping road.
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A float procession is ready to walk down Yu Road at 5 pm.
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There are 19 floats (dashi). Nine of them belong to the Shimo-chiku area of Hachiman Yakumo Shrine in the east part of the city. And ten of them are from the west part (Kami-chiku) under Taga Shrine.
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Earlier during the third day, they had Shishimai lion dances by this pair of lions displayed here.
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On the Koshu Kaido main road, they started a mikoshi (portable shrine) procession from 5 pm on the third day.
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Mikoshi bearers
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All-female mikoshi bearers.
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This float had a group of tekomai women, Hachioji Matsuri.
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Tekomai at Hachioji Matsuri, Tokyo.
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During the Edo Period, the floats originally had dolls. But since the late Meiji Period, the floats have become sculptured wooden floats. Eight of the floats were lost during World War II, but they were rebuilt. So some of them look quite new.
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The floats have a masked person dancing as a fox, etc. They are messengers of the gods.
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Koshu Kaido is filled with people during the mikoshi procession.
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A girl twirling a decorative pole.
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She was doing it to music. Hachioji Matsuri.
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Flute players
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Then at 6 pm, they held a "buttsuke" meeting between a few floats which performed at an intersection. This was at the Yokoyama-tsuji intersection. ぶっつけ
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Women in yukata watching the Hachioji Matsuri.
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Sometimes two floats would meet up again and perform together.
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They pulled the floats up and down the main road.
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One traditional float featuring dolls.
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Tekomai
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Pulling a float at Hachioji Matsuri.
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One float had a group of geisha-like musicians.
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Geisha-like musicians, playing the samisen.
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Now this is the Kami-chiku (上地区) section of Koshu Kaido where more floats were being paraded. However, I noticed that there were fewer people here. It's further away from the train station.
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Two floats in Kami-chiku.
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There are always people riding on the roof of the floats.
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Shishimai lion dance, Hachioji Matsuri.
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White fox
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Back to the more crowded Shimo-chiku was a meeting of nine floats at 7:45 pm. They were together for 30 min. 山車年番送り 札の辻
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Very crowded at Hachioji Matsuri.
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Another float procession.
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Coming down on Yu Road.
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Poster for Hachioji Matsuri in 2009.
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The name of the festival is "Hiwatari," literally meaning fire crossing. They make a big fire, then allow people to walk over the embers. This is the centerpiece of the festival, a pile of cypress tree branches to be burned.
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This festival is held on the second Sunday every March at the foot of Mt. Takao. It takes less than an hour from Shinjuku via the Keio Line. Train fare is only 370 yen. The pile of tree branches is supported by a wooden framework. A priest pours kerosene.
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The festival site is a short walk from Takao-san-guchi Station. It's held in this large lot cordoned off by a sacred rope. This festival is held as a prayer for traffic safety, household safety, and personal safety. It is held by the Yakuoin Yukiji Te
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Various ceremonies, rituals, and chanting takes place during one hour from 1 pm. Divine ax used to cut away earthly desires.
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Divine arrow to ward off any life-threatening devils. The festival is executed by the mountain ascetic priests called yamabushi.
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He shoots an arrow into the pile from the four corners.
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This long torch will be used to ignite the pile.
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The pile is first ignited from two sides.
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The pile catches fire very easily due to the kerosene. Even at this distance, it gets very hot. Also see the video at YouTube.
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Dai-hiwatari Festival, Mt. Takao, Tokyo
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She was tossing out these paper things to the crowd.
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Raking the fire. They are making the footpath for fire walkers.
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Raking the fire
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This priest splashed the boiling contents of this pot over himself.
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Head priest
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Blessing the path
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First the priests walked on the fire.
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Walking on fire
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Hiwatari fire-crossing festival, Mt. Takao, Tokyo
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Before and after walking over the fire, they stick their feet into a pile of salt.
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After crossing the fire, each person is blessed by the head priest with a tap on the shoulder by a baton.
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After the priests, the general public is invited to stand in line and cross the fire for free.
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I always wondered how hot it was to walk on the fire, so this time I decided to walk over the fire just to see how much heat my feet could bear. Also see the video at YouTube.
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Long line: It took us over 30 minutes to reach the fire.
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End of the line. It reads, "Saikobi."
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Everyone crosses barefoot, so we took off our shoes as we approached the fire crossing.
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First we pass through a gauntlet of chanters.
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Then we stick our feet in salt.
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This is what it looked like by the time we got there. Hardly any fire. It was somewhat wet, and it did not feel hot or warm at all. Pretty disappointing...This is what it looked like by the time we got there. Hardly any fire. It was somewhat wet, and it did not feel hot or warm at all. Pretty disappointing...
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End of the walk. Again we dip our feet in salt. We all ended up with muddy feet. There was no place to wash our feet either. Bringing wet tissues is highly recommended if you plan to walk on the fire.
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Priests parade back to temple.
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Yamabushi--mountain ascetic priests. They carried a conch-shell-like instrument.
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Back at the Yakuoin temple which belongs to the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. 薬王院
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Costume gals. Even these girls walked on the fire.
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Takao Baigo is in the area of the famous Mt. Takao. It's an area with several plum blossom groves mainly along a road called Kyu-Koshu Kaido (旧甲州街道) near JR Takao Station and Keio Line Takaosanguchi Station.
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Takao Baigo is in the area of the famous Mt. Takao. Plum blossoms here bloom in March, so if you were too busy to see plum blossoms in Feb., you can still see the ume blossoms in mountainous western Tokyo.
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Takao Baigo was established in 1964 by a local tourist group. They happened to have multiple plum groves in this area, so they decided to market them together as a tourist attraction named "Takao Baigo" (Takao Plum Blossom Area).
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Red plum blossoms really stand out.
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Takao Baigo is near JR Takao Station and Keio Line Takaosanguchi Station. JR Takao Station has this giant tengu mask on the platform. Mt. Takao, which has long been a sacred mountain, supposed to be where one of the major tengu dwells. So the tengu is a local symbol.
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JR Takao Station. Takes a little over an hour from Tokyo Station on the JR Chuo Line.
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JR Takao Station. Get out the north exit (Kitaguchi).
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From the north exit,go left to the bus stops to catch a us to Takao Baigo. Otherwise, it's a 15-min. walk.
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Buses run only once an hour on weekdays and two or three times per hour on weekends. Take the bus going to Kobotoke (小仏).
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When I took the bus from Takao Station in mid-morning, it was packed even on a weekday during peak bloom.
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You can see the plum groves either from the start of the road or from the end of the road where the largest plum grove is located. I took the bus to the end and walked back toward the train station.
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If you want to see the largest plum grove first (Kogesawa Bairin), get off here at the Oshimo stop (大下). Takes about 20-30 min. from Takao Station.
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Bus stops between the two nearest train stations and Takao Baigo.
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From the Oshimo bus stop, walking to Kogesawa Bairin. A short walk.
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Walking to Kogesawa Bairin.
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Walking to Kogesawa Bairin near the Chuo Expressway overhead. (木下沢梅林)
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Kogesawa Bairin near the Chuo Expressway overhead.
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Gate to Kogesawa Bairin. All the plum groves have free admission. Kogesawa Bairin is open to the public only when the flowers are on bloom. Otherwise, it's closed to the public (surrounded by a fence).
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Kogesawa Bairin is on a hillside with walking paths along the trees. Mostly white plum blossoms, but a few red and pink flowers too. ("Bairin" means "plum grove.")
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Walking up to the top of Kogesawa Bairin along this path on the periphery.
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Kogesawa Bairin is on a hillside.
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The plum grove has walking paths across the slope.
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On the top of Kogesawa Bairin, there are benches and picnic area near the plum trees.
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Top of Kogesawa Bairin with benches and picnic area near the plum trees.
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Top of Kogesawa Bairin with benches and picnic area near the plum trees.
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Top of Kogesawa plum grove hill has this small area for picnickers. A few benches and tree stumps to sit on. Good idea to bring takeout food. Pleasant to have lunch here.
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Top of Kogesawa Bairin.
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Top of Kogesawa Bairin.
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Top of Kogesawa Bairin. Plum tree branches seem to grow in random directions, but the tree always maintains its balance.
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Plum trees also have lichens growing on the trunk and branches. These lichens form on plum trees in rural areas. We don't see them on plum trees in the city because exhaust fumes from vehicles kill them. So if you see these lichens on plum trees, it means the surrounding environment is very clean. (Parmotrema tinctorum ウメノキゴケ)
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Looking down the hillside of white plum trees.
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Steps going down hill of plum trees at Kogesawa Bairin.
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Kogesawa Bairin hillside walking path.
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Some plum trees with pruned branches. May they flower again someday.
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The grove is near the mountains, so there's a nice backdrop.
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Another nice spot for a picnic.
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Walking path near the Chuo Expressway.
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Kogesawa Bairin
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Kogesawa Bairin
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Kogesawa Bairin
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Kogesawa Bairin
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Kogesawa Bairin plum grove at Takao Baigo, Hachioji, Tokyo.
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Kogesawa Bairin plum grove at Takao Baigo, Hachioji, Tokyo.
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Kogesawa Bairin from outside the fence at ground level.
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Kogesawa Bairin
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After Kogesawa Bairin, walked along on Kyu-Koshu Kaido road to see more plum groves.
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It's a quiet, rural, residential area along a small river. As you keep walking, you see plum trees here and there.
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Bus stop
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Pruning plum trees.
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Kobotoke River and plum blossoms.
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The next plum grove was Surusashi Bairin (するさし梅林). This might be the second largest plum grove in Takao Baigo.
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Surusashi Bairin (するさし梅林) is also gated and open to the public only when the flowers are in bloom.
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Surusashi Bairin grove covers a long, rectangular area. This is one end of it.
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Surusashi Bairin has just one main path in the middle. The Chuo Expressway (goes to Nagoya via Nagano) is in the background.
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Surusashi Bairin
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Surusashi Bairin
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Surusashi Bairin
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Other end of Surusashi Bairin.
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Since they are so few in Takao, the red plums really stand out.
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Other end of Surusashi Bairin.
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Walked further along the road for the next grove named Yunohana Bairin (湯の花梅林).
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The public cannot enter Yunohana Bairin, so you just see it from the road.
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Yunohana Bairin
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Yunohana Bairin
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Yunohana Bairin
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Riverside path.
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Riverside path map.
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A grove named Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba.
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Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba is more for picnicking.
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Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba
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Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba has restrooms.
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Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba
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Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba is right under the expressway.
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Map of Takao Baigo.
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Map of Takao Baigo.
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Takao Baigo stone monument at Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba.
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Takao Baigo stone monument at Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba.
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Next plum grove was Tenjin Bairin. It's somewhat hidden behind trees, but there's a sign and bridge to get there.
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Bridge to Tenjin Bairin from the road.
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Tenjin Bairin well.
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Another noted plum grove is Tenjin Bairin (天神梅林) named after Takao Tenmangu Shrine on the top of this hill.
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