Utatsuyama (卯辰山) is a small mountain in Kanazawa that stands taller than even the castle, and the Utatsuyama Park (卯辰山公演) area, accessible from Higashi Chaya-gai (tea district), is home to a number of gardens, including the iris garden I visited last summer. Last week, I hiked to the plum grove, which, in addition to Kenrokuen’s much larger plum grove, is one of the best places to view the plum blossoms in the city.
Access: Accessible on foot from Higashi Chaya-gai–the road is steep, so wear good shoes; free parking near the grove.
Plum blossoms typically offer throughout the month of March in Kanazawa. Utatsuyama’s bloom slightly later than those in Kenrokuen because of the higher elevation in the former.
The Lobster Dance 
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