Oita Prefecture is a popular travel destination thanks to its numerous fantastic hot spring locations, but it's worth a visit for its flowers, too. This guide covers three spots which are covered in colorful blooms during spring.
Oka Castle Ruins
Featured on the list of Japan's Top 100 Castles and Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom viewing spots, the Oka Castle Ruins are home to almost 500 cherry trees in several types – they're typically at their best around the first week of April. There is an annual festival held here to celebrate the blooms, which also includes a daimyo procession through the town of Takeda.
2889 Taketa, Oita 878-0013
📍 10 minutes by taxi/30 minutes on foot from Bungo Taketa Station on the JR Hōhi Main Line.
Kuju Flower Park
Kuju Flower Park has been growing in popularity over recent years due to some incredibly photogenic floral displays gaining traction on social networking sites. During spring, one flower field here is planted like a patchwork quilt, with eleven different flower varieties in various colors. There are also individual fields dedicated to tulips, nemophila (baby blue eyes), poppies, and Livingstone daisies. The park is still worth visiting outside the spring season, with highlights like lavender and sunflowers in summer, celosia and cosmos in autumn, and roses year-round.
Kujumachi Oaza Kuju, Taketa, Oita Prefecture 878-0201
📍 Easiest to reach via private vehicle, alternatively the park is around 20 minutes by taxi from Bungo Taketa Station on the JR Hōhi Main Line.
Senzaki Tsutsuji Park
At the Senzaki Tsutsuji Park, around 50,000 azaleas bloom during April, and they can typically be enjoyed right up until the end of Golden Week (the first week of May). Even outside of azalea season the park is worth a visit – it provides some beautiful views out over the surrounding waters which you can see in the video below.
Kamae Oaza Nishinoura, Saiki, Oita 876-2302
📍 Approximately 1 hour by car from Saiki IC on the Higashi Kyushu Expressway, or 30 minutes from the Kamae Roadside Station
