Festival of Wild Camellias in Miyazaki
Posted by Yukiko Kisaki on 27th Feb 2013
Last weekend was the time for our annual tsubaki matsuri Festival of Camellias in Miyazaki's Tsubakiyama (Camellia forest).
Wild Japanese Camellias (called yabu tsubaki) are native to the region, and we use them to produce our Aya Camellia oil.
It was a bright sunny day. Kimono-clad ladies served green tea and sweets, while others played traditional Japanese music on stringed instruments called koto. The organizers handed out hot bowls of zenzai, a delightful azuki bean and mochi rice sweet porridge. Visitors got to crush the Camellia seeds in a hand-press and get the golden color Camellia oil drip into little glass bottles.
Tsubakiyama is a wild forest of over 41 hectares, home to over 48,000 camellia trees. In 2003, it was designated as the first International Camellia Garden of Excellence in Japan.
Tsubakiyama Forest Park
4343-1 Kagamizu aza Uchihira
Miyazaki, 889-2156 Japan
Tel: +81-985-58-3200