A Million Azaleas: Gomiike Hafū Highland Park, Suzaka, Nagano Prefecture

The Gomiike Hafū Highland Park in Suzaka, Nagano Prefecture, is known for its profusion of Japanese azaleas (renge tsutsuji). As many as 1 million of these flowering shrubs come into full bloom from around the middle through the end of June. The highland area is located on Mount Hafū (Hafūdake), which has a maximum altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level and lies on the border between Nagano and Gunma Prefectures. The prime viewing locations are at different altitudes—the area around Ōike Pond area being about 1,500 meters above sea level, the Tsutsuji House area 1,600 meters and the Ōdaira area 1,800 meters—and the viewing seasons vary accordingly.

(Originally published in Japanese. Created in cooperation with Goolight.)