Ume Quest began like any other quest with me usually does…I found a spot that seemed cool and I needed to go to it.
This has happened several times in the past. I usually drag someone along with me, but this time people came willingly (yes).
The idea was to go to a place in Gunma that I discovered when I was looking up spots for the Japan flower spots article
I saw this poster boasting that Gunma has the biggest plum tree area in all of Japan and my interest was immediately piqued.
The city of Takasaki was advertising it, so I thought, Takasaki? What is that? Under 2 hours by train? I can handle that!
(Note to people, the local train to Takasaki takes forever)
When we arrived at Takasaki, my friends mostly reacted to how far it was and how they had never been. It is not the most exciting city, but it is okay (there are buildings). We took the No. 2 bus for 30 minutes and got off at “Yotsuya.” From there the website assured us it would be a 30 minute walk away.
HA.
It is not a 30 minute walk away…It is well over an hour away from the bus stop.
We walked around in circles before locating the bridge.
We went around a giant, strangely formed man-made lake to find ourselves hiking up a giant hill…
We were tired, there had been nothing but very misleading, not-to-scale signs. When we were a good way up the hill we finally saw hope. Banners for the plum blossom festival!
We had arrived.
…But let me illustrate to you our route in terrible GIF form.
The ducks literally saw lost foreign tourists and quickly high-tailed it to the other side of the lake.
The long and winding road….
Plum blossoms along the way
Takasaki can be seen in the distance.
The orchard went on forever….
Blossoming plum blossoms and the clear Gunma skies.
Fresh plum juice. It tasted like apricots.
At the plum orchards there were old men and women selling various local produce and plum-related goods. We asked some vendors, out of desperation, if there was any easier way back.
They couldn’t believe we walked.
We sadly turned towards the road downhill and started walking back. A car stopped beside us and the old man from the plum stand yelled for us to get in.
SALVATION.
He was the ex-chief of the fire department in town apparently. I cannot express my thanks for the existence of kind people in this world.
We asked him to drop us off at the nearest hot spring.
