Around March 10th in 2012, I visited Tsukigase village, which is famous for its gorgeous plum grove. Tsukigase is located on the north side of Yamato Highland, which borders Kyoto, Nara and Mie Prefectures and spreads over the border of Nara and Iga basins.
When I entered the shadow of the mountains a cold wind froze me. I wondered what the temperature difference was between the shaded and sunlit areas. Tsukigase is on a highland, and it was hard to determine what kind of clothes would fit the climate. They say plum blossoms here bloom half a month later than plum trees in the center of Nara city. With luck, visitors can enjoy the fragrant plum blossoms here till the end of March.
