Sanagochi, Tokushima Prefecture
Okawara Highland From flowers beside me to great blades in the sky
As I walk among the flowers, the wind tells me I’m up in the mountains.
Read about the moment I stopped beside the flowers one afternoon in early July.
SummerAn afternoon in early July
Flowers close by and blades turning in the sky
As I came beside the hydrangeas, I slowed my steps. Flowers continued up the slope, leaving me unsure whether to look at one nearby cluster or the whole hillside. I drew the cardigan draped over my mint top closer around my arms and first turned towards the flowers in front.
Small flowers gathered into one round cluster. From far away, they’d looked like a continuous spread of blue; up close, I noticed how the colour varied from cluster to cluster. With my hands resting together in front of my waist, I compared their shapes. Even without picking one, I felt I’d found a favourite.
A breeze brought my hair against my cheek. Looking up, I saw a great wind turbine beyond the flowered slope. The eyes that had just studied little flowers now followed huge blades in the sky. Having things of such different sizes in the same view was somehow fun.
“I’d like to get both the flowers and turbines in,” I told my driving friend. Talking about how much to include in the photo, we also noticed a building with a round dome. I’d meant to photograph only flowers, but now I wanted to keep the feeling of being here too. I stepped back a little and looked at the scenery again.
Even as I began walking with my friend, each nearby flower cluster caught my eye. I thought I’d seen the whole view, yet the next flower looked a little different. Back home, I’d like to enjoy the aroma of Sanagochi sudachi too. It might bring back both the plateau wind and that afternoon looking up at the flowers.
The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.
Local specialty
Sudachi citrus from Sanagochi
A village speciality with a refreshing aroma and mellow acidity. I’d like to squeeze some over a meal after the trip and remember the breeze I felt on the highland.
Highlights
A slope of hydrangeas
Stand close and you can find differences between the clusters. I’d like to look for my favourite flowers as I walk.
A highland with wind turbines
The highland has 15 turbines generating wind power. Rather than count them all, I’d like to watch the blades visible beyond the flowers.
Getting to the highland
From Tokushima City to Okawara Highland
- Distance from Tokushima City
- 30km
- Elevation of Mount Asahigamaru’s summit
- 1,019m
The journey is listed as 50 minutes by car from Tokushima City. The elevation refers to the summit of Asahigamaru behind the highland.
Head from the city into the mountains, then make time to walk beside the flowers on arrival.
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