- 2022.07.15
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Enjoy sunflowers, not just in summer!
Tosa City is known as one of the sunniest spots in Japan thanks to its warm weather. It’s the perfect place to visit if you love flowers, because guess what blooms in sunny places? Indeed, the quintessential symbol of Japanese summers…sunflowers!
The story behind Izuma’s field of sunflowers goes back to one farmer’s jolly decision
In order to prevent soil nutrient depletion and other negative effects of monocropping (planting the same crop on the same land every year), Kunikazu Matsumoto needed to grow something besides his negi (Japanese green onions) from spring to summer. Without much thought, he decided on playful and colorful sunflowers. However, it soon turned into a passion project that he has continued for over 20 years, bringing joy to countless nature-lovers every year
Mid-June to early July is the best time to see the field of over 100,000 early-blooming sunflowers. Some of them even reach 2-meters high, which means only one thing…hide and seek in a maze of flowers!
If you end up missing peak season though, you have another chance from late October to early November! About a 12-minute walk away is another field of late-blooming sunflowers, which are adorably mini compared to the early-blooming ones (about 30 centimeters tall)
Visit Tosa City for the beautiful nature and charming countryside experience
Locations
Early-blooming sunflower field: https://goo.gl/maps/1QQkKRdq4SED3RY88
Late-blooming sunflower field: https://goo.gl/maps/WVuxxtvLc1LU2RAe7
Discover Kochi's seasonal flowers: https://visitkochijapan.com/en/highlights/Flowers
The story behind Izuma’s field of sunflowers goes back to one farmer’s jolly decision
In order to prevent soil nutrient depletion and other negative effects of monocropping (planting the same crop on the same land every year), Kunikazu Matsumoto needed to grow something besides his negi (Japanese green onions) from spring to summer. Without much thought, he decided on playful and colorful sunflowers. However, it soon turned into a passion project that he has continued for over 20 years, bringing joy to countless nature-lovers every year
Mid-June to early July is the best time to see the field of over 100,000 early-blooming sunflowers. Some of them even reach 2-meters high, which means only one thing…hide and seek in a maze of flowers!
If you end up missing peak season though, you have another chance from late October to early November! About a 12-minute walk away is another field of late-blooming sunflowers, which are adorably mini compared to the early-blooming ones (about 30 centimeters tall)
Visit Tosa City for the beautiful nature and charming countryside experience
Locations
Early-blooming sunflower field: https://goo.gl/maps/1QQkKRdq4SED3RY88
Late-blooming sunflower field: https://goo.gl/maps/WVuxxtvLc1LU2RAe7
Discover Kochi's seasonal flowers: https://visitkochijapan.com/en/highlights/Flowers
