Mito Ume Matsuri (Festival) is a popular event in Mito city, Ibaraki, being held at Kairakuen garden (+ Kobuntei ) and Kodokan in early Spring. You can enjoy Ume (plum) trees of course, and also Hina nagashi, food, special events (Team lab), etc. It’s nice to go as day trip from Tokyo! Here are tips and info how to access, tickets, bathroom, etc.
Mito Ume Matsuri
In spring, season of plum, there is a festival called “Mito Ume Matsuri” in Mito city, Ibaraki prefecture.
Ume = Plum
Matsuri = Festival
It is held at Kairakuen Garden ( including Kobuntei House ) and Kodokan. Also, there is an outside exhibition by team lab at Kairakuen at evening during this season.
Ume Matsuri Special Ticket
You can get a ticket for each place (Kairakuen Garden, Kobuntei House, and Kodokan), however you can get a special ticket for Ume Matsuri.
- Set ticket (Kairakuen Garden, Kobuntei, Kodokan) Adult / 680yen
** It’s cheaper to buy ticket at each place for Elementary & Junior High school student, and those who are over 70 years old.
Day Trip From Tokyo
Ibaraki is huge, however, Mito city is not too far away from Tokyo as you can go to Mito Ume Matsuri as a day trip from Tokyo, or a weekend trip too. It takes 2 hours more or less. Here are itineraries for 2 patterns.
- Tokyo station to Kairakuen Garden station (or Mito station, and get a bus to Kairakuen Garden)
- Kairakuen Garden
- Get a train / bus / cab to Kodokan
- Kodokan
- Walk to Mito station (10 mins)
- Mito station to Tokyo station
If you are interested in the digital art by Team lab in Kairakuen Garden at evening,
- Tokyo station to Mito station, and walk to Kodokan (about 10 mins)
- Kodokan
- Get a train / bus / cab to Kairakuen Garden
- Kairakuen Garden ( + digital art )
- Get a train / bus / cab to Mito station
- Mito station to Tokyo station
I did the first one, Kairakuen station -> Kairakuen Garden -> Kodokan -> Mito station. And I am going to write how I moved around below.
How To Access to Kairakuen Garden From Tokyo
You need to get a train on JR Joban line from Shinagawa Station, Tokyo Station, Ueno Station, Nippori Station, etc.
Kairakuen Garden Station
Only during “Mito Ume Matsuri”, trains from the direction of Tokyo stops “Kairakuen garden Station” which temporally opens for the festival. But there are not many trains scheduled.
Mito Station
You can get JR Joban line to Mito station, and get a bus for Kairakuen Garden.
Ume Matsuri at Kairakuen Garden
Kairakuen Garden was made by order by Nariaki Tokugawa with his wish “The place where everyone can enjoy” in 1842. It is one of “The 3 Great Gardens of Japan” with Kenrokuen garden in Ishikawa and Korakuen garden in Okayama.
There are about 100 kinds and over 3000 Ume trees in the park. And they have some events for the festival.
Hina Nagashi / Floating Hina dolls
They do Hina nagashi that is letting the Hina dolls floating (on the small boat). We can also join it if we buy a paper Hina dolls there. It was only 100 yen ( = $1 ), and each one looks unique. i heard that all of them is made by elementary students, isn’t it lovely?
Food Venders at Kairakuen Garden
There are many food venders lining up, and the smell makes you hungry..!
Kobuntei House
It was made for a place to rest. You need to pay admission fee (details below), but you can feel the beauty of Japanese traditional style building. I recommend you to visit if you have never been to any kinds of Japanese traditional building like ryokan, house, restaurant, etc. besides shrines and temples.
Team Lab at Kairakuen Garden
We left for Kodokan before it got dark because we were with a baby, but there is a team lab digital art at Kairakuen Garden at evening on this season.
Information for Kairakuen Garden
Kairakuen garden itself has a lot of places to check, i’d write it on different article. Here is basic information for going to the festival.
Admission Fee
As of now (2022)
For Kairakuen Garden,
- Adult / 300yen
- Elementary & Junior High School Students / 150yen
- Over 70 years old / 150yen
For Kobuntei House,
- Adult / 200yen
- Elementary & Junior High School Students / 100yen
- Over 70 years old / 100yen
Bathroom
There are bathrooms, but it might be a line. Make sure to go bathroom when you find it.
With Baby – Diaper change, Stroller
I took my baby nephew on a baby stroller, but it was pretty hard, to be honest with you. There are gravel roads, stairs without any better access like stroller, etc. I carried my baby nephew and others carried a baby stroller and backpack & etc.
Another thing that I noticed was you can not find diaper changing tables often. Please make sure where those are.
How To Access Kodokan from Kairakuen
There are some ways to get Kodokan from Kairakuen garden, but you do need a plan.
- Train
- Bus
- Taxi
Train
As mentioned, only trains coming from Tokyo side stop at Kairakuen Garden Station on this festival season, however there are not many trains coming. Check the time table, and plan well if you want to catch a train.
Bus
There is a line, and it might be difficult to wait if you are with babies, and to get on if you have a baby stroller.
Taxi
So I decided to use a cab, but there was also a line which was shorter than the one for a bus. Finally we got one after 30 minutes of waiting, and it took 15 minutes to Kodokan. The cost was 1600 yen (for us, group of 3 adults + 1 baby on a lap)🚕 I can imagine there might be a traffic depending on time.
Ume Matsuri at Kodokan
Koudoukan was a clan school built in 1841 as set with Kairakuen Garden. It’s not as huge as Kairakuen Garden, however there are about 60 kinds of, and 800 Ume trees in total.
At festival, you can walk around and enjoy those beautiful plum trees.
Information
Admission Fee
As of now (2022)
- Adult / 400yen
- Elementary & Junior High School Students / 200yen
- Over 70 years old / 200yen
Bathroom
There are 2 bathrooms.
Accessibility
I’d say it’s good. I pushed a baby stroller, and I didn’t have a problem. You might feel it’s not easy because it’s sand, but no ups and downs.
Koudoukan To Mito Station
It takes 10 minutes to walk to Mito station from Kodokan. It was not hard for me, but you can also get a cab if you want.
Mito Station
There are some things that you might enjoy around Mito Station.
- Souvenir shop at station
- Statue of Mito Koumon
If you are looking for somewhere to go see plum trees in early spring, I’d recommend you to go to Mito Ume Matsuri (Festival) as day trip from Tokyo, enjoy nature and learn history!
