Staff in Kairakuen in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, have begun harvesting plums, which the city is famous for, just before they reach their peak ripeness. They are harvesting the plums from about 3,000 trees within the garden, which is known as one of Japan's three most famous gardens.
This work, which aims to spread nourishment among the trees and ensures beautiful flowers next year, began at 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning and saw the garden's employees, with bamboo poles measuring 3 to 4 meters in length, shaking the trees to cause the unripened fruit to fall.
This year, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, sales of the harvested fruit to the public will be halted with the fruit instead being offered to manufacturers of products such as umeboshi (pickled dried plums).
"We hope everyone will look forward to next year's plums and plum blossoms," said a representative of the Kairakuen garden center.
Harvesting will continue until Friday.
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