The city of Ome 青梅市

As soon as you arrive at the station, the tone is set: two small wooden waiting rooms evoke the stations of yesteryear and the cultural past of the city through reproductions of old cinema posters . Indeed, after the war, Ome, with its three cinemas showing films from all over the world, attracted moviegoers from all over the country.

See: Go to the cinema in Japan

Retro galore

Proud of its film-loving past, the municipality has decided to revive it and although all the cinemas have disappeared, the streets of the city are dotted with painted reproductions of hundreds of cinema posters.

It is therefore surrounded by cinema posters with vintage charm that the visitor walks through Ome-Juku, the old quarter located just at the southern exit of the station where a few houses remain from the time of Edo (1603-1868) or the Showa era (1926-1989) . There is the " Shôwa Retoro Shôhin Hakubutsukan " (Showa Retro Goods Museum) where everyday objects and packaging from the Showa era are exhibited. " Ome Akatsuka Fujio Kaikan Memorial " is dedicated to manga artist Fujio Akatsuka , the author of Tensai Bakabon ( Bakabon the Genius ). You can discover works by the artist as well as photos and books about him. The " Showa Gento-Kan Museum " meanwhile, houses dioramas of the city in the Showa era and vintage movie posters.

At the end of the street to the left, up a verdant hill, is the charming Sumiyoshi Shrine .

parks and temples

The Ome Railway Park , opened in 1962, will delight train enthusiasts and children. Old steam locomotives and wagons dating from the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century are exhibited in the open air.

Ome literally means "green plum" and the city is famous for its plum blossoms . In 2009, the famous Yoshino Baigo (the village of plum trees) had to resolve to cut down all its trees (30,000 in all!) suddenly suffering from a disease. New plum trees were planted in the fall of 2016 and the "village" reopened.

Shiofune Kannonji Temple, sees its gardens covered in varying shades of pink, purple, green and white when its approximately 20,000 azaleas bloom in April-May. The temple is also famous for its buildings dating from the Muromachi era (1336-1573), two of which have been declared "national treasures".

To read: Plum blossoms in Tokyo

Fabrics and dyes

Located on Ome Kaido , the famous Edo period road that linked Shinjuku to Kofu in Yamanashi Prefecture, Ome was once a prosperous city, thanks in particular to its production of textiles , including silk, and its workshops of indigo dye . During the Edo period, the city was then famous for its " Ome stripe ", fine threads of yellow silk woven into a dark colored cloth.

Of this rich past, only the Kosoen indigo workshop remains, where you can buy clothes with entirely natural dyes and even experience the indigo technique ( aizome ) by dyeing your own pieces.

The Kimono Museum , meanwhile, exhibits some 500 pieces that belonged to nobles or members of the imperial family. It is accessible by bus from Ome station, heading towards Yoshino Baigo.

To go further: Kyo Yuzen, fabric dyeing