It is the
beginning of April, Sakura time has started all over Japan. So what do you do? You go to do some Hanami, flower-watching. Here on Ojika island you can find a lot of great spots to do so.
To begin, we decided to check out the trees on and around
Bandake- mountain, which is easy to reach on foot in about 30 minutes from the Island Inn. There is a street leading around the mountain and up, which is lined by white Sakura trees, that provides some great views of the sea and white and pink Sakura trees at the bottom of Bandake. Half way up one reaches a park area with a big stone monument, again lined by Sakura trees on the outside, with a fantastic view over Ojika and, on a clear day, Nosaki island. To the right, a small path leads down to a huge water basin and another park area. Taking that path, we passed the most beautiful white Sakura tree in full bloom, where we stopped by to take some pictures. Finally, we reached some pink Sakura trees down at the water basin. On our way back to town we decided to pop into the island cafe called `tan tan`, to finish Hanami with a frappe, some cookies, muffins, pudding and a game of ´daifugo´.
(white Sakura trees line the street up to Bandake)
(Alice is enjoying the flowers)
(two happy kids in a Sakura tree)
(pink Sakura)
A few days later I felt like drawing some flowers, so I decided to go to one of my favourite spots on the island when it comes to enjoying the Sakura: the
park on top of the mountain on Madorajima.
To get there, I highly recommend taking the e-bike from Goen, since the road leading up to the park is quite steep and long. But once you make it up there, you will be rewarded by the most amazing view and some beautiful white Sakura trees. I find the flowers in this park to especially smell very nice too. If you want to see some early Sakura, this is the place to go. The trees start blooming fully earlier than in other spots on the island since they get many hours of sun on top of that mountain.
(view from the park on madorajima)
(filled white Sakura)
I also went for a stroll to Kuroshima, only twenty minutes on foot from the Island Inn. There is a
park with a tower and a shrine on top of Kuroshima which is a great spot for Hanami. The steps with the stone tori which lead up to this spot are especially picturesque as they are lined by some old Sakura trees whose branches form a roof over them. On top and around the park lawn you will find more old Sakura trees, which you can even see from the dining room of Goen.
(the stairs leading up to the tower and park)
(view from the tower)
(shrine on kuroshima)
(filled pink Sakura)
(the lawn in the park, surrounded by Sakura trees)
Lastly I want to suggest you to go to see the
Sakura street, the street leading to the Ojika airport. We went there by bike for Hanami and all agreed that this is the most impressive place to see Sakura on Ojika! The street is quite long and old Sakura trees are forming a tunnel over it. Such a lovely place!
I am glad that I am seeing my first Sakura in Japan on Ojika, since the places are never crowded so you can relax under the trees and take as many pictures without people in it as you like!
(the Sakura street on Ojika)
(Hanami with a lot of great snacks. Our favourite: the candied beans)
花子
Ojika is an island full of beauty, and one thing that might perhaps get overlooked is the gorgeous array of flowers you can see every day no matter where you walk. Without immediately realising it, seeing every colour of the rainbow in these flowers every day makes us feel happier inside, I'm sure of it. Please enjoy the gorgeous array of flowers I found on Ojika, and Hana's happy face surrounded by beautiful sakura!
