Summer already start to greet Japan and the warm weather come replacing the cool Spring. This article will be about Tsutsuji Festival at Omurayama located at Izu peninsula. The area around the hill give a lively vibe of blooming Tsutsuji flowers and all the people who come to enjoy it together 😀

Going to Komuroyama

According to the festival website there are 2 routes to go there. First is go to Kawana station and walk for around 20 minutes (but it seems like I walk for 30 minutes though XD ) and the second route is to go to Itō Station and take the bus from there. So, I am taking the first route, thinking it would be a nice little walk. The picture below was the sight from the train when I already at Itō area, very close to the sea. Beautiful, isn’t it? The lower pictures was taken at Kawana station. I am not sure but the “thing” at last picture looks like an artsy map about main destination around Kawana station.

From there I walked to Komuroyama. It is not that far, but it was an uphill road and I got kind of tired XD
Finally, I reached our destination!

Tsutsuji Matsuri

I reached the parking lot! Hahaha, we already can see Komuroyama from here! So many cars at the parking lot even though it was weekday when I went. Seems like everyone want to enjoy the festival before it gets too crowded at weekend (‘v’) 

Here it is the Komuroyama park (and hill). As you can see from the picture, its like a sea of Tsutsuji flower. A little part had not bloomed yet, but it still really pretty. White, pink and red colour combine with the greens. My favourite is the red one, an opulent fresh colour ✿
There are also “Tsutsuji Tunnel” and its best to walk under it when the Tsutsuji are in full bloom state. A bit different kind of Tsutsuji, the flower at the “tunnel” have a higher branch making them twisting at each other, creating a passage thus the “Tsutsuji Tunnel” name.

Climb the stairs to see more of the park and Tsutsuji flower…
Oh yeah, don’t forget to bring your bento/lunch box! There are benches and chairs at the top of the stairs so you can appreciate the sight while enjoying your lunch. Other option is of course the restaurant at the Forest market, the serve various menu from full meal or light snack like coffe and cake. (The second picture is a monkey show. I don’t know do they always perform this or only when a festival held. It was pretty entertaining though!)

Not only you can enjoy the sight of Tsutsuji park from up here, you can also see Mt. Fuji at the distance (if the weather is clear). Too bad when I went there, Mt. Fuji were covered with clouds and barely visible…

To the Top

After I finished my bento, time to go to the highest top of this place 😀 You can ride a lift for 420 JPY (the price is cheaper for kids). If you don’t want to ride the lift you can also WALK until the top, but that is kinda tiring and time consuming so without waiting any longer, I bought the ticket! I am a bit suprised no safety belt on the lift chair but it’s not too high nor dangerous though.

On the top of the hill, you can get more nice and clear sight of the surrounding area. In one side there are residents house with mountains as background. On the other side, you can see another island and the vast sea. 

I tried the big binoculars on the top of Komuroyama building (to use this binocular, use 100 JPY coin and you can use the binocular for about 3-4 minutes). I really like it because I can see the ships and island clearly with this binocular! I can’t take photo of what I saw with binoculars, so here are some regular photo 😛 you should come to see them by yourself too!

The lower floor of this building is a little gallery of wood carving art (a little expensive but it is pretty).They also offering to draw your dog or cat face on a wood plate. The price range from 5,000~7,000 JPY until 10,000 JPY or more. On the top of Komuroyama, there is also a little shrine and some stands.

Going Back

After wandering around, I get down the hill by the lift again (just an info, you can also walk down from here, it will not as hard as climb up. Its just I already bought the round trip ticket so it will be a waste if I don’t use it XD ). I bought the “Tsutsuji Ice Cream” (there is also Orange flavor) hahaha. The taste is pretty good, kinda like vanilla ice cream though @-@

On my way back I TOOK THE BUS. Hahaha, no more walking, I am too tired for it. Just hop on the bus at the Komuroyama, around 20 minutes and you will reach Itō station.

Thank you for joining my trip! Let’s meet again in the next article 😉

-Vivi-

Information

* Please refer to the latest info before visiting the place.