As winter draws to a close, Japan's camellias burst into bloom like red lights on the evergreen trees. Camellias are such a hallmark of spring that the character for them is written
using the ideographs that mean "spring tree".
The yabu-tsubaki is a species of camellia that grows wild on Oshima Island. There is a camellia festival held here between mid-January
and late March each year where you can see different varieties of camellia in bloom. Those who explore more of Oshima will find the kinds of dramatic views you can only get on a volcanic
island. We invite you to discover this wonderful world for an early taste of spring.
Oshima Island is part of Tokyo, and you can be there before you know it. It's just a 25-minute flight from Chofu Airport, or you can catch a high-speed jet ferry from Takeshiba and
be there in an hour and 45 minutes. It's also just 45 minutes from Atami Port. And because there are several boats going back and forth each day, some people even make a day trip out
of it.
The rich and varied topography of Oshima is characteristic of a volcanic island, as is the stunning natural scenery that results. The islanders even have an
honorific word, gojinka, that they use to show reverence for Mt. Mihara, the symbol of the island. It's because of this volcano that the island is blessed with so many camellias, so
camellias are an important key word that you want to remember if you're visiting Oshima in spring.
Yabu-tsubaki is a species of camellia that grows wild on Oshima, and it is said that some three million of them grow on the island.
We visited Tsubaki-hana Garden to see the
earliest-blooming flowers of the season and ran into owner and operator Takashi Yamashita tending to his plants.
"You never get a day off when you're caring for living things,"
he tells us.
Yamashita works with a handful of staff members to manage Tsubaki-hana Garden, which is home to several other seasonally-blooming flowers in addition to its more
than 2,000 camellia trees. His dedication to his meticulously and beautifully maintained garden has made him well-known even outside of Japan, drawing experts from far and wide.
Spend some time looking at the camellias in the garden and you'll notice that every flower has a different pattern. Apparently there are more than 400 varietals here.
The shiny
leaves of the camellia tree each have their own characteristics as well, and some are even shaped like goldfish fins. Looking at all the details to find your favorite ones is a fun
way to spend time at the garden. When the weather's clear, you can even catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji from the garden's open lawn, making it the perfect place to relax and spend the
day.
[DATA]
Tsubaki-hana Garden
Address:41-1 Tsubaitsuki Motomachi, Oshima, Tokyo
TEL：04992-2-2543
Hours：9:00~15:00
Closed:Wednesdays and Thursdays
http://tubakihanagarden.com/newpage2.html
Akihiko Shimoda and his wife Yaeko, owners of Barrier-free Pension Subaru, hand-pick camellia flowers and use them to make jam. Apparently, they're the first ones to make this flower-petal jam, despite the fact that the island is covered in camellias.
They go out with a small group of people to pick the flowers from 7:00 AM to sunset, and then sort through them to select only the prettiest parts of the blossoms. Just doing this
takes them the entire day—and they still haven't started making the jam.
"We want to make our jam into an Oshima specialty product, so we're actually hoping that lots of people
will start to make it," Akihiko tells us.
The only place you can buy camellia flower jam off the island is Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo , and even there it's a rare souvenir item with limited quantities available—so your best bet for getting your hands on some is to inquire directly with Barrier-free Pension Subaru. If you actually stay at the pension, you can even enjoy it on your freshly-toasted bread in the morning.
[DATA]
Barrier-free Pension Subaru
Address:1-23-6 Motomachi, Oshima, Tokyo
TEL：04992-2-1142
Hours:9:00~15:00
