"Tsutsuji Matsuri - The Azalea Festival"

Admiring the Azaleas 

View Map It! Okinawa in a larger map

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.

Ogatamanoki, The Welcome Spirit Tree

Ogatamanoki, the Welcome Spirit Tree

View Map It! Okinawa in a larger map

Ogatamanoki, The Welcome Spirit Tree

     GPS

Latitude	Longitude
N 26 36.268	E 128 07.236

Ogatamanoki, The Welcome Spirit Tree

In Arume of Higashi Village the local people have a special tree they call the Ogatamanoki (オガタマノキ), which happens to be the same Japanese name of this very type of tree (scientific name, Michelia compressa) found throughout Japan and the Ryukyu Islands.(1)(2) This particular tree, with a circumference of about 3 meters, is collocated next to the Shinzan Utaki.(3) The tree is believed to welcome good spirits.(3)

The Name and Background History. The kanji used to describe the Ogatamanoki is written as 招霊の木. The first two Kanji can be pronounced as Shōrei; Shō meaning 'inviting' or 'welcoming' and rei meaning 'spirit' and the last kanji, 木, means 'ki' or tree.  Hence, put together, the tree is known to be the Welcome Spirit Tree. (It is not certain if the first two kanji can also be read as Ogatama).

It said that when their flowers bloom it releases a strong fragrance and such trees are often planted near shrines (perhaps because it believed they welcome good spirits).(4) In Kyoto, at the Shiramine Shrine, there is a Ogatamanoki believed to be over 800 years old.(5), and here at the Kin Kannondo Temple and Shrine in Okinawa, you may also see some of these trees in the background.

Author's Notes. The tree itself appears to have sustained some damages long ago. The upper part seems to have broken off or was torn down.

Directions. Take Highway 331 North going towards Higashi Village, then take Highway 14 going west. About 300 meters later look for a white sign in English and Japanese on your left. You will see the Shinzan Utaki and a middle school next to it. There are wooden steps that take up to the Spirit Tree.

Source of Information.
1. www.missouribotanicalgarden.org
2. www.geocities.jp/kbg_tree/ogatama/compressa.htm (Japanese)
3. Higashi Village Guide Pamphlet.
4. www.uchiyama.info/hana/hana/ki/ogatama/ (Japanese)
5. Official Kyoto Website (Japanese)

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