Mount Takagawa's Azalea

Colorful surprises in rural Yamanashi

Steve Morton Aug 01, 2016 - 1 min read

It wasn’t until after reaching the summit of Mount Takagawa that I first caught sight of these colorful flowers

Located on a connecting ridgeline, I didn’t actually know what these flowers were called having rarely seen them in real life!

Upon closer inspection and later research, I finally realized what they were

Perhaps it’s because of the higher altitude which resulted in these azaleas blooming earlier than in most other lower laying areas

These colorful flowers were a pleasant surprise

These rich vibrant flowers contrasted well against the forest interior

A final look before moving on to greener pastures

Famous for its cherry blossoms in springtime, hydrangeas in summer, and autumn colors, Japan’s colorful seasons are relatively easy to predict for most travelers.

With this fact in mind, I arrived at the foot of Mount Takagawa in eastern Yamanashi Prefecture on an early spring morning with little expectation of seeing anything colorful except perhaps some usual lush green foliage since it was well outside any of these colorful seasons.

However, when traversing the narrow ridgelines, I encountered many vibrant Azaleas providing a pleasant surprise to an already interesting hike

Steve Morton @steve.morton138

Yokohama based content creator, editor, and researcher. Steven likes, eating, reading and traveling on a streamlined budget guaranteed to make any self-respecting local gulp. When not too busy with work assignments, Steven attempts to not get lost while following Japanese tourist maps.Follow me o...