"Tsutsuji Matsuri - The Azalea Festival"

Admiring the Azaleas 

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Tsutsuji Matsuri (The Azalea Festival)

     GPS

Latitude	Longitude
N 26 38.235	E 128 09.413

Tsutsuji Matsuri (Azalea Festival), Higashi Village

Every March, Higashi Village hosts the Azalea Festival, or better known to the Okinawans as 'Tsutsuji Matsuri'. The Azaleas are part of the genus Rhododendron, with these particular flowers being part of the subgenus 'Tsutsuji' (or 'Tsutsusi'), which are evergreen Azaleas versus their North American counterparts that are deciduous in nature (leaves fall off in the fall). The festival occurs at the Azalea park about 500 meters away from Highway 70. The festival itself last about 3 weeks long with various events and entertainment spread out during this period. However, you can still view the Azaleas for the entire month of March. Please visit the Higashi Village website for more information (Japanese only). They will have a schedule of major events and entertainment during the festival period.

The park itself is a nice walk on both high and low ground. Down below are small nature walk areas where you can see the Higashi greenery and some of the streams that flow between the hills. High up on the hills are several areas where you can view down and out toward the Higashi landscape. If you love nature and especially flowers, then this is great place to bring the family.

Time Frame: Entire Month of March (2018 Festival Period March 2-21, Flowering Viewing March 2-25)
Time: 9am-6pm

Entrance Fee. 300 Yen for High School Students and above, free for Middle School and below, and free admission for people with a disability
(For update and current information please visit website below)
Website. http://www.vill.higashi.okinawa.jp
Phone number for festival information.  098 043 2265
Food stands. Hot foods starnds are available during the festival period
Stroller Friendly. For the most part, the park is baby stroller friendly

For related articles on the Tsutsuji Matsuri see, http://www.okinawastory.jp/en/special/festivals_hotels/special/f_festivals.html 
http://www.okinawa-information.com/blog/azela-festivaltsutsuji-matsuri 

For information about Azaleas, please visit, 
http://www.pbase.com/azaleasociety/evergreen
http://www.azaleas.org

Directions. Take Highway 329 into Nago City. Then take Highway 331 going north on the eastern side of Okinawa. From Highway 331 take Highway 70. Look for the road signs off of Highway 70 that point to the Azalea Park. During the festival period you may see numerous banner flags along the road side that lead you to the Park. See map for other landmarks of the area.

Other places of interest nearby: The Sakishima Sappanwood Tree (Higashi), The Higashi Museum, Meoto Waterfall.

"Meoto Falls (Tachigawa Waterfall)"

Meoto Falls

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Meoto Falls

     GPS

Latitude	Longitude
N 26 37.851	E 128 12.866

Meoto Falls (Tachigawa Waterfall)

In Higashi Village there is a waterfall that is referred to by the locals as the 'Married Couple's Waterfall'. It is Meoto-Taki (or Tachigawa Falls), which flows from the Tachigawa River. The Japanese word 'meoto' in English gives reference to a 'married couple'. The main highway goes right over it, and you wouldn't know it if you were going on a Sunday drive. The Meoto-Taki is unique in that it has two separate waterfalls in close proximity, each having its own pool of water. And being that there are two, this may be the reason for the metaphorical description.

The Meoto-Taki is unique in another sense, in that part of it (or maybe all of it) sits on private property. At least the main entrance to the waterfall is on private property. There is a cafe and a pension on the same grounds. The gentleman who owns the land welcomes visitors. On his own time he does custom wood work for inquiring customers. He doesn't speak much English, but that shouldn't stop you from meeting a new friend and practicing some Japanese. He understands that people come here to view the waterfall. He is a very friendly gentleman.

Hours. Because the entrance way and part of the waterfall sits on private property, there are set hours where you can visit. Hours are from 11am to 7pm. Closed on Wednesdays. Cafe: 098-043-2186.

How to go about visiting. Because the waterfall entrance does sit on private property, it does provide an odd situation for many, and maybe a little uneasiness about walking directly into someone's yard visiting a waterfall. Just to make you feel at ease, recommend you go ahead and ask one of the staff if it is okay to see the waterfall. They know that people come here to see without asking, but it doesn't hurt to ask and it shows good manners and a sign of respect.

Cafe. The cafe menu is currently in Japanese, but they do have cheese-cake, tea, and coffee. There is a terrace with a nice view of the ocean and a chance where you can relax as you absorb the fresh air. It is not a bad place to enjoy your cup of tea.

Going for a swim. The pools of water are deep enough where you can take a short swim on a hot day. Keep in mind, that other families come here and visit. Though they did say it was okay to swim, I would just ask beforehand as a sign of politeness. Otherwise, it might be equivalent to going into your neighbor's swimming pool without first asking permission.

Directions. Look for a sign with a coffee cup on it along Highway 70. Behind the sign is the parking lot for the cafe. On the opposite side, you will see a two story building and an entrance. This is where you go in. You will see a walkway that takes you down the waterfall. Just remember there are two. To get to the first one, you will see a wooden walk-way that takes you down to the first level. If you skip the wooden walk-way and continue on the pavement, you will go further down to the second waterfall.

Another View Point. If you were to go 100 meters pass the cafe along the main highway you will see a visitor's stopping area. To the right of that is a road that takes you to another viewing area of the ocean. You can walk down to the beach but the steps are very uneven and may have overgrowth along the way. Use caution if you decide to go down. It is a nice view of the ocean down below however. Note: You are not allowed to take anything from the beach or its waters at this location, this includes lobster or clams. You can scuba dive but cannot take anything from the ocean. Spear guns of any kind are not allowed. There will be a fine if caught. Fishing with a fishing pole is okay. 

Other Waterfalls of Okinawa (沖 縄 滝).
Azaka Falls, Fukugawa Falls, Hira Falls, Ogimi Waterfall, Taa Waterfall, Todoroki Waterfall, River Trekking to a Nameless Waterfall (Fukugawa II), Kijoka Falls, Nameless Waterfall (Kunigami).

Other Places of Interest Nearby. The Higashi Museum, The Sakishima Sappanwood Tree, The Azalea Festival (March Only).

"The Sakishima Sappanwood Tree - Higashi Village"

The Sakishima Sappanwood Tree of Higashi Village

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The Sakishima Sappanwood Tree (Higashi Village)

     GPS

Latitude	Longitude
N 26 38.235	E 128 09.779

The Sakishima Sappanwood Tree - Higashi Village

Not too far from the Higashi Museum is an intriguing looking tree tucked away in the treeline along the Fukuji River. It is considered to be one of Higashi's natural monuments and is considered to be the largest one of its kind on Okinawa proper. It is the Sakishima Sappanwood Tree of Higashi Village. According to the Higashi Village Office, the tree reaches to about 18 meters in height and about 2.9 meters in circumference at chest-height. Surrounding the tree are its tall, thin wall-like roots grounded in a wavy pattern. It is a fascinating wonder of nature and one of many on Okinawa to see.

Author's Note. The exact scientific classification could not be determined with 100% certainty by the author. Various information has floated around on the internet but nothing from a reputable source. Other Sakishima Sappanwood Trees can be found on Iriomote (maybe the largest within the Ryukyu Archipelago).

Directions. The tree is not far from the Higashi Museum. See map above. Study the landmarks that take you to the Museum. Once you pass the Highway 331 and 70 intersection look for two landmarks along Highway 70 that will take you to the museum (blue route). There are two posted along Highway 70. One is a 'vending area' for tourist and the other is the 'Y-Fork' in the road where you turn into. At the 'Y-Fork' turn-off you will see a radio antennae looking structure to the left. There will also be signs posted on the ground in Japanese. Click here to see what it looks like. Once you are along the 'blue route' at some point you will have to cross to the west side of the Fukuji River. Look for a parking area with a sign for a landmark. The tree is within the treeline of this parking area.

Other places of interest nearby. The Higashi Museum, The Azalea Festival (March Only), Meoto Falls.

"The Higashi Museum"

Inside the Higashi Museum

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The Higashi Museum

     GPS

Latitude	Longitude
N 26 38.469	E 128 10.029

The Higashi Museum

Probably one of many least known museums here on Okinawa, the Higashi Museum, for its size, is neatly crafted and well organized. If you are into birding or wildlife here on Okinawa, then it might be worthwhile to see their collection of 'stuffed' birds and other wildlife that are professionally on display. They even have a few live snakes in a glass case on display, to include the notorious and much feared, Habu. Much of the museums covers the agricultural history and the lifestyle of Higashi people of the past. Though nothing is translated in English, you do get a sense how life was like many years ago for the Higashi villagers. If you have a friend that can read Japanese and speak English, then recommend you bring him or her along to help you decipher some of the history surrounding this beautiful part of the Yanbaru Forest. Higashi and many villages further north on the eastern side of Okinawa contain many hidden cultural and natural 'gems' that even many Okinawans may not know about. A large part of it has to do with its location, with the north eastern side of Okinawa being less frequented by transients. The museum sits next to the Fukuji River and next to the museum is a small park and a view of the Higashi Mountains.

Fukuji Dam Back Entrance. If you were to pass the museum and continue on you will run into the back entrance of the Fukuji Dam (Yellow route above). Vehicles are not permitted at a certain point but you can walk inside and see what was once a family gathering area along the river bed. It is a very similar set up to that of the Haneji Dam Family Picnic Area in Nago where kids and parents can splash and have fun in the water. The staff had mention that it is being renovated (road construction) and hopefully some time this year it will accessible for vehicles.

Directions. The turn-off is something you wouldn't expect to lead you to a museum. Study the landmarks carefully. There are two posted. One is a 'vending area' for tourist and the other is the 'Y-Fork' in the road where you turn into. At the 'Y-Fork' turn-off you will see a radio antennae looking structure to the left. There will also be signs posted on the ground in Japanese. Click here to see what it looks like.

Note: They had at one time offered a brochure in English about Higashi and its cultural assets. Lack of English speaking visitors might have contributed to the temporarily halt of this publication. However, with more and more English speaking visitors arriving, it may re-ignite enthusiasm to providing more and more multilingual material for visitors.

Closed: Mondays, If holiday falls on Monday – closed on Tuesday. Closed on national holidays, Okinawa War Memorial Day (June 23rd), December 29-January 3rd.
Hours: 10am-6pm (Last admission 5:30pm)
Fee: Adults/College Students 200 Yen ( 160 Yen/ 15 or more). Elementary to Highschool Students 100 Yen (80 Yen/ 15 or more)
Phone Number: 098-051-2828
Website: http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~yamamizu/
Taking Pictures: Allowed inside

Other places of interest nearby. The Sakishima Sappanwood Tree, Meoto Falls, The Azalea Festival (March Only).