Narcissus at Chihaya-akasaka Village

Chihaya-akasaka Village is only one village in urbanized Osaka Prefecture with the population of about 6700 people.   It is located in the mountains of the Kongo-zan (1125meters high).  On the terraces at the hillside, about 50,000 narcissus bloom from mid-January to February.

 

Not only flowers but also blades are beautiful in the light.

Although many were laid down by the wind storm of the previous night, they were still radiating sweet fragrance.

 

 

Dark green blades and white faces were shining bright in the sun.   In spite of the very cold air, I wondered if it was winter or spring. 

This is "rural Osaka" in urbanized Osaka Prefecture.  Traditional Japanese countryside is preserved just an hour drive away from busy Osaka City.   The winding paths run through trees, terraced rice paddies, and  houses.

A general Kusunoki Masashige (1294-1336) was born in this village.  He took Imperial orders from Emperor Go-Daigo and raised an army at Shimo-Akasaka Castle. He is affectionately called as “Nanko-san”.  The monument, The Birth Place of Nanko, was built by Okubo Toshimichi in 1878.  The momument is under the gigantic camphor trees as his name “Kusunoki/楠” means “camphor”.

 

If you are interested, please have a visit to Narcissus Fields at Nada-kuroiwa in Awaji-shima Island  where 5,000,000 narcissus bloom one after another on the mountain slopes facing the Pacific Ocean.