Awaji Hana-sajiki



At Awaji Hana-sajiki in Awaji-shima Island, kobe, the dream of spring unfolds with yellow rape blossoms, mauve murasaki-hanana, and linaria.  The flower fields stretch over rolling hills with vertical difference of 50-60 meters.  Under the sunlight, yellow flowers all turn into gold.

Yellow blossoms are common in the countryside of Japan.   They are “na-no-hana” in Japanese which do not always mean rape blossoms for seed oil but all the yellow flowers of mustard or cabage family like potherb mustard "mizuna."

"After the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, sunflowers and rape blossoms were used to decontaminate soil in Ukraine. Radioactive cesium is similar to kalium, a commonly used fertilizer. If kalium is not present, sunflowers will absorb cesium instead."  "......the researchers are considering using hyperthermophilic aerobic bacteria--used to produce compost--to decompose the plants. The decomposing process will reduce the sunflowers to about 1 percent of their previous volume, which will slash the amount of radioactive waste that needs to be dealt with."

Above is excerpts from Daily Yomiuri Online introduced by my English teacher.  I think it's a good idea to depend on nature's way when nature can make up for human blunders.

紫花菜,  murasaki-hanana,  orychophragmus violaceus

  

“Hana-sajiki” literally means "flower-first balcony of a theater": flowers are overlooking the sea like "sajiki" overlooking the stage, and flowers are viewed from higher "sajiki", observatory at the summit as well.  On a sunny day, Seto Inland Sea is clearly visible, but unfortuntately the sea was dim, very weakly shining due to typical spring haze in that direction on that day.   Can you see dim harbor in the distance?

 linaria



Poppies had just started blooming for the next stage.  Cows were grazing nearby, fresh breeze was blowing so softly against me...., I felt peace, free and comfortable.  Talking of "free", both admission and parking are free of charge.

Within 10 minutes’ drive, there is Nojima Danso Hozonkan (Fault Preservation Museum) in Hokudancho where was the epicenter of Great Hanshin Earthqukae (1995).   Dislocation caused by the Earthquake is preserved in the building.  In a simulator, visitors can experience the shaking of the same intensity and duration which hit the island.  Sudden very strong vertical jolt and then violent horizontal shaking for about 4 minutes was quite scary.  The museum staffs hope it will remain not as just a memorial of the past but as a constant reminder that people must stay prepared without fading memory.

Find your favorite place on "sajiki" and  relax!

Awaji-shima Island connected with Kobe City by Akashi Straits Bridge is full of beautiful nature.   For more posts related to Awaji-shima, click “Awaji-shima Island” in the “Labels.”

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