Plum Blossoms at Dazaifu

Dazaifu Tenmangu is one of Fukuoka's most famous shrines. Dedicated to the spirit of famed scholar and former court official Sugawara Michizane, the grounds of the shrine are covered in plum trees. Every year around mid-February, the first sign of spring - in the form of dark pink, white and wine-red petals - appear on the shrine's plum trees. A festival featuring a bonsai exhibit, street food and copious amounts of plum wine usually takes place around the third or fourth weekend in February.