Takao Baigo Plum Blossoms 高尾梅郷

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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.

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.

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).

Red plum blossoms really stand out.

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.

JR Takao Station. Takes a little over an hour from Tokyo Station on the JR Chuo Line.

JR Takao Station. Get out the north exit (Kitaguchi).

From the north exit,go left to the bus stops to catch a us to Takao Baigo. Otherwise, it's a 15-min. walk.

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).

When I took the bus from Takao Station in mid-morning, it was packed even on a weekday during peak bloom.

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.

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.

Bus stops between the two nearest train stations and Takao Baigo.

From the Oshimo bus stop, walking to Kogesawa Bairin. A short walk.

Walking to Kogesawa Bairin.

Walking to Kogesawa Bairin near the Chuo Expressway overhead. (木下沢梅林)

Kogesawa Bairin near the Chuo Expressway overhead.

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).

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.")

Walking up to the top of Kogesawa Bairin along this path on the periphery.

Kogesawa Bairin is on a hillside.

The plum grove has walking paths across the slope.

On the top of Kogesawa Bairin, there are benches and picnic area near the plum trees.

Top of Kogesawa Bairin with benches and picnic area near the plum trees.

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.

Top of Kogesawa Bairin.

Top of Kogesawa Bairin. Plum tree branches seem to grow in random directions, but the tree always maintains its balance.

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)

Looking down the hillside of white plum trees.

Steps going down hill of plum trees at Kogesawa Bairin.

Kogesawa Bairin hillside walking path.

Some plum trees with pruned branches. May they flower again someday.

The grove is near the mountains, so there's a nice backdrop.

Another nice spot for a picnic.

Walking path near the Chuo Expressway.

Kogesawa Bairin

Kogesawa Bairin plum grove at Takao Baigo, Hachioji, Tokyo.

Kogesawa Bairin from outside the fence at ground level.

Kogesawa Bairin

After Kogesawa Bairin, walked along on Kyu-Koshu Kaido road to see more plum groves.

It's a quiet, rural, residential area along a small river. As you keep walking, you see plum trees here and there.

Bus stop

Pruning plum trees.

Kobotoke River and plum blossoms.

The next plum grove was Surusashi Bairin (するさし梅林). This might be the second largest plum grove in Takao Baigo.

Surusashi Bairin (するさし梅林) is also gated and open to the public only when the flowers are in bloom.

Surusashi Bairin grove covers a long, rectangular area. This is one end of it.

Surusashi Bairin has just one main path in the middle. The Chuo Expressway (goes to Nagoya via Nagano) is in the background.

Surusashi Bairin

Other end of Surusashi Bairin.

Since they are so few in Takao, the red plums really stand out.

Other end of Surusashi Bairin.

Walked further along the road for the next grove named Yunohana Bairin (湯の花梅林).

The public cannot enter Yunohana Bairin, so you just see it from the road.

Yunohana Bairin

Riverside path.

Riverside path map.

A grove named Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba.

Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba is more for picnicking.

Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba

Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba has restrooms.

Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba

Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba is right under the expressway.

Map of Takao Baigo.

Takao Baigo stone monument at Takao Ume-no-Sato Machi-no-Hiroba.

Next plum grove was Tenjin Bairin. It's somewhat hidden behind trees, but there's a sign and bridge to get there.

Bridge to Tenjin Bairin from the road.

Tenjin Bairin well.

Another noted plum grove is Tenjin Bairin (天神梅林) named after Takao Tenmangu Shrine on the top of this hill.

Go up the hill to see the shrine.

About Takao Tenmangu Shrine. Plum blossoms are associated with Sugawara Michizane because he once wrote a poem for his beloved plum blossoms that "flew through the air" to follow him when he was exiled to Dazaifu, Fukuoka.

At the top of Tenjin Bairin grove is this small Takao Tenmangu Shrine. Tenmangu (or Tenjin) shrines are dedicated to famous Japanese scholar Sugawara Michizane (845–903) deified as Tenjin, the god of learning and scholarship.

People in this Takao area have been worshipping Tenjin for centuries. Most all Tenmangu/Tenjin shrines (thousands of them) have plum blossoms.

Next to Tenjin Bairin is this reforestation area.

Walking path along the river.

Homes along the river.

This part of the river was dry due to construction work upstream.

Red plum blossoms in a small park.

Turn left to see another plum grove, but I was too tired and just went straight.

This is near the entrance to this walking path.

Toward the end (or beginning) of the trail are more plum blossoms called Yuhodo Bairin (遊歩道梅林).

Yuhodo Bairin (遊歩道梅林)

Entrance to the walking path to see Yuhodo Bairin (遊歩道梅林). From Takao Station, it's a 15-min. walk to here.The path goes along the river and you can walk all the way to Kogesawa Bairin on the far end, about 5 km away. It would take about 90 min. one way. Then take the bus back to Takao Station.

However, it seems most people first take the bus from Takao Station to Kogesawa Bairin and then start from there which is what I did.

Yuhodo Bairin. There's usually a Plum Blossom Matsuri festival on one of the weekends, but it was canceled in 2021 and 2022 due to Covid-19.

Yuhodo Bairin (遊歩道梅林)

Plum blossom bus at Takao Station (North exit). They have two buses running at the same time between Takao Station (North exit) and the plum groves.

Hachioji manhole cover. It depicts a Sanbaso dancer (三番叟). Sanbaso is a well-known dancer in Noh and kabuki. He comes from a Noh prayer dance called Okina (翁) dating from the 14th century as a religious ritual. Hachioji's manhole shows the Sanbaso as a Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo puppet (八王子車人形). It's a unique offshoot of bunraku puppetry performed by a troupe based in Hachioji.
Here's a video that shows exactly what it is: https://youtu.be/XV8gVw5Rhwg

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