Little-Known Cherry Blossom Viewing Spot

Cherry blossoms in Okinawa are now in full bloom! In this article, I’ll introduce spots that are still the best kept secrets in viewing the beautiful blossoms of the Kanhi Zakura cherry trees in Okinawa! This is a place that’s similar to the popular hills of Yaedake, where you can enjoy the sights of the cherry blossoms as you drive. What’s more, the blossoms in the more familiar spots where cherry blossom festivals take place are already towards end of the season with the flowers falling from the branches, but my recommended spots are welcoming the peak of viewing!



The location is in Oshikawa in Ogimi Village. Along the mountain road from the Shioya community in Ogimi Village to Oshikawa are a number of Kanhi Zakura cherry trees that have been planted there. Here you’ll find my second recommended spot, a place where you can drive through cherry blossom arches. It’s a refreshing sight to behold.



Spot number three is located along the road that sees little traffic compared to the other more known spots, so you can park your car and enjoy the view and take photographs.



And what’s great about being able to take your time to take photos is that you’ll likely come across the sweet little green birds, called the Japanese white-eye, that come to play on the branches of the cherry trees!



If you turn around 180 degrees and look back to the road where you came, you’ll see the lovely blossoms with the ocean in the background, for spot number four! The brilliant pink flowers of the cherries and the calming blue of the seas is picturesque.



The fifth spot is this spectacular view above! The view from around the top of the mountain is grand! Here, you can command a view of the quiet waters of Shioya Bay. The island in the far distance is Yagaji Island, and you can also see the Nago and Nakijin areas from here, too.



You can view westward, so if you take photos of the cherry blossoms around sunset, you can take photos like the one shown above. The shot will be against the sunlight, so use your flash to capture the combination of the golden hue of the sky and the brilliant pink of the Kanhi Zakura cherry blossoms, as I did for this shot.



This particular spot is great to visit during sunset! When I find more “secret” spots, I’ll be sure to post them here, so stay tuned and keep enjoying Okinawa CLIP!

 

▼Location
From Nago, go along Route 58 and cross the Shioya Ohashi Bridge, and after a few hundred meters, turn right (on Route 331) on the road that takes you toward Shioya Bay. Proceed on the road along Shioya Bay for one to two kilometers and to your left, there is an entrance to a mountain road which cuts across to the Oshikawa community. (Note, there are no signs that point to this road so keep your eyes peeled.)



Okinawa CLIP photo writer, Hiroshi Kuwamura (KUWA)