NATIONAL HOLIDAY & EVENTS IN MARCH.
●Mar. 3rd Hina Matsuri (Doll's Festival for Girls) - ●Mar. 21st Vernal Equinox Day
Early March to early May
Sake Breweries of Nada Stamp Rally in HYOGO
Pick up a stamp rally card at the first brewery you visit & collect stamps at the other breweries. There is a map on the stamp rally card for you to follow. You may get a small souvenir when you have collected a certain number of stamps & can qualify for a draw for a larger prize. You can sample the sake at each brewery as well as purchasing some to take home.
TEL:078-322-5339
(Tourism and Exchange Division, Kobe)
Mar. 1st to 14th
Omizutori in Nara
Todaiji 東大寺二月堂
TEL:0742-22-5511
This festival for water & fire was in its 1 255th year in 2006.
A big ball of fire is dragged around & the sparks from it fall on the ground.
Mar. 3rd
Hinamatsuri & Hina Nagashi
March 3rd is Hina-Matsuri, the Doll's Festival for girls. People display a set of dolls and pray for the healthy growth of their daughters. The dolls are displayed from around the end of Jan. to just Mar. 3rd. On that evening, they are put away so that their daughters will be happily married in the future. It is believed that there would be bad luck if they were not put away on Mar. 3rd.
Hinamatsuri in Kyoto
Hokyo-ji Temple 宝鏡寺 Dolls Temple
TEL:075-451-1550
Ancient imperial palace dolls can be seen. People bring dolls that are no longer being used to the temple and bid them good-bye by putting them in a small flowing river.
Adult 600 yen & child 300 yen
Shimogamo Shrine 下鴨神社
TEL:075-781-0010
Hina dolls are thrown into the river to pray for children's good health. There are people dressed in traditional kimonos.
Hinamatsuri in Wakayama
Awashima Shrine 淡嶋神社
TEL:073-459-0043
Women gather from not only Kansai but also from all over Japan to bring their Hina dolls to be thrown into the sea.
Hinamatsuri in Nara
Hokkeiji 法華寺
TEL:0742-33-2261
Mar.1st-20th About 100 dolls from the imperial household are displayed for the public to see.
Mar. 7th
Fire festival of Koya in Wakayama
Koyasan 高野山
TEL:0736-56-2434
There is an annual fire festival held to open Koyasan for hiking in the spring.
The Middle of March
Hanatouro in Kyoto
http://www.hanatouro.jp/index_e.html
Higashiyama-ku,
About 2 400 lanterns light up the path from Shoren-in Temple to Kiyomizudera Temple.
TEL:075-212-8173
Hana Toro Promotion Sponsors Office
Flowers in March
Camellias in full bloom*Kyoto
Maizuru Shizen Bunka-en
30 000 camellia trees with 1 500 varieties from all over the world.
Maizuru Floral & Green Public Corporation
TEL:0773-68-1187
Nijo Castle
About 620 trees with 120 varieties.
Reian-ji Temple
(Sakyo Ward Path of Philosophy)
35 varieties of camellias can be seen.
Tsubaki-dera Temple (Jizo-in Temple)
One of the camellia trees was planted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Forest of Hanashiri
Showplace of Kyoto camellias
Kyoto Botanical garden
About 600 trees with 250 varieties of camellias.
Camellias in full bloom*Osaka
Kasuga Shrine
There is a camellia tree that is over 300 years old.
TEL:0725-54-0352
Hattori Ryokuchi Park
About 700 varieties of camellias bloom.
Camellias in full bloom*Hyogo
Flower Centre
About 250 varieties of camellias.
TEL:0790-47-1182
Sairinji
About 700 trees
TEL:0795-22-2387
Camellias in full bloom*Nara
Todaiji Temple
One of three famous camellia-viewing places in Nara.
TEL:0742-22-5511
Gokoku Shinto Shrine
23 000 trees with 1 800 varieties of camellias.
TEL:0742-61-2468
Camellias in full bloom*Wakayama
Oshima Camellia Road
2 000 trees line 200 metres of Camellia Road.
TEL:0735-62-3171
You can still enjoy plum blossoms.
Plum blossom Viewing *Kyoto
Kitano Tenmangu 京都市北野天満宮
Feb. 25th
http://www.kitanotenmangu.or.jp/eigo/index.html
TEL:075-461-0005
About 2 000 plum trees bloom. Maiko can be seen participating in the festival.
Houbutsu-den is open to the public on the 25th every month.
Umemiya Shrine 梅宮大社
The middle of February-the middle of March
About 550 trees
TEL:075-861-2730
Nagaokatenmangu 長岡天満宮
http://www.nagaokatenmangu.or.jp/index.html
There is a tea ceremony when the plums are in bloom.
TEL:075-951-1025
Plum blossom Viewing *Osaka
Osaka Castle Park Plum Tree Festival 大阪城公園
About 1 200 trees.
TEL:06-6941-1144
Expo Park Plum Tree Festival 万博公園
http://www.expo70.or.jp/e/index.html
Suita
About 92 kinds such as 650 Beniume and white plum trees.
There are some events.
TEL:06-6877-7387
Nagai Botanical Park 長居植物園
http://www.ocpa.or.jp/n-syoku/
TEL:06-6696-7117
Domyoji Tenmangu 道明寺天満宮
http://www.ocpa.or.jp/n-syoku/
Fujiidera
The middle of February-the middle of March
There are about 800 plum trees blooming splendidly from February to March.
TEL:0729-53-2525
Hiraoka Shrine 枚岡神社
Higashiosaka
About 20 kinds of trees such as Beniume & white plum.
TEL:0729-81-4177
Plum blossom Viewing *Hyogo
Sumaurayamakamiyuen 須磨浦山上遊園
Suma-ku, Kobe
About 660 trees.
TEL:078-731-2520
Nakayamakannon 中山観音梅林
TEL:0797-87-0024
Bansyu Ayabe Bairin 播州綾部山梅林
25 000 trees
It is famous as the town of the plum tree.
Plum blossom Viewing *Nara
Tsukigase 月ケ瀬梅渓
Tukigase
About 16 000 trees.
It is known as a famous plum grove in Kansai.
Basho (Poet) also wrote a haiku about the beauty.
Plum blossom Viewing *Wakayama
Minabegawa village 南部川村
It is the number one place for plum trees in all of Japan.
One million trees
[ Minabe Umesihnkoukan ] There is a umeboshi museum.
