Who knew there could

Who knew there could be so many foodstuffs made from plum?

We sampled and sniffed delicate plum tea, sweet plum wine, pink plum flavored steamed buns, bitter pickled plums, sour plum-flavored sesame seeds, plum-infused garlic, bright fuschia plum scented daikon pickles.

The foods, combined with the blooming plum trees, two enka (Japanese lounge music) singers, and vendors hawking clever bird-shaped whistles carved from bamboo, silk plum blossoms and lucky charms, made the Atami Baien's 57th annual Ume Matsuri an interesting place to spend a sunny afternoon.