Late April to Early May Hiraoka Park is famous for its beautiful plum grove. The Plum Festival  is held from late April to early May, when about 1,200 white and red plum trees are in full bloom. There will be some food stalls. Enjoy popular soft-serve plum ice cream and other sweets. Adm.: free. Venue: Hiraoka Park (Kiyota-ku, Hiraoka-koen, 1-1). Access: take bus from Shin Sapporo Subway Sta. (Tozai Line) to Hiraoka 6-jo 4-chome. Info: Hiraoka-koen Kanri-jimushoTel.881-7924.

Date: Apr. 10-May 10 Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Jozankei Onsen Keiryu Koinobori display will be held from Apr. 10 (Fri.) to May 10 (Sun.) at Jozankei Onsen. About 400 colorful carp streamers will soar above the hot spring town. Donated by families across Hokkaido, they create a beautiful spring scene celebrating Children’s Day and the arrival of spring. Info: Jozankei Kanko Kyokai, Tel.598-2012  https://jozankei.jp/event/koinobori/

Date: May 10 (Sun.) The 72nd Regular Concert of the Sapporo Philharmonic Orchestra will be held at the Kanamoto Hall (Chuo-ku, Odori Nishi 1). Fifty pairs of 100 non-Japanese living in Sapporo will be invited to the concert. Scan the QR code below to apply. Program: (1) Prince Igor Overture (Alexander Borodin), (2) Piano Concerto No.2 (Sergei Rachmaninov) (3) Symphony No.5 (Dmitri Shostakovich). Date: May 10 (Sun.), 1:30 ‒3:40 p.m. Info: Sapporo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mr. It

This spacious café on the first floor of Hotel Fav Lux Sapporo Susukino offers calm and open atmosphere. They serve home-roasted coffee and bread including a pumpkin brioche (450-yen) that’s perfect for this season. The iced June café latte (660-yen) and matcha latte (670-yen) are recommended. Desert and beer (800-yen) are also available.     Address: Chuo-ku, Minami 6, Nishi 7, Hotel Fav Lux Sapporo Susukino 1F. Open daily, 7 a.m.‒10 p.m. Bakery: 11 a.m.–8 p.m. lnfo: (050-17