Tsubaki-hana Garden

In short

Tsubaki-hana Garden is a private garden on Izu Oshima. In its natural forest of about 17.5 hectares, camellias, hydrangeas, and other seasonal flowers bloom throughout the year. The camellia garden was certified as an International Camellia Garden of Excellence in 2016, and it is described as featuring about 2,000 camellia trees across roughly 400 varieties.

• ​Early-Blooming Camellias​​: Featuring early-blooming camellias said to bloom earliest in Japan, visitors can enjoy camellias from an early season.
• ​Fujimi-no-Oka (Mt. Fuji Viewing Hill)​​: From the grassy hill, you can look out over the Izu Peninsula and Mt. Fuji. The sunset is also said to be particularly beautiful.
• ​Rabbit Forest​​: You can feed the free-roaming rabbits. There are burrows here and there, and as soon as you step inside, the rabbits will approach you.

History and Highlights

At Tsubaki-hana Garden, planting of cultivated camellia varieties began around 1970 in the natural forest of about 17.5 hectares. It is the only private facility among the three gardens on the island certified as an International Camellia Garden of Excellence. The camellia garden was certified in 2016, and it is introduced as offering about 2,000 camellias of roughly 400 varieties. There is also a camellia collection dedicated to the memory of a former president of the Japan Camellia Society.

A well-known feature of the camellias here is their early bloom, said to be the earliest in Japan. While many varieties bloom around March, the early-blooming camellias begin to flower around September. The garden selected early-blooming trees from wild Japanese camellias (Camellia japonica) and planted them on Fujimi-no-Oka along with early-blooming cultivars. These wild camellias are said to reach full bloom as early as mid-October.

Along with camellias, hydrangeas are another pride of the garden. Visitors can enjoy them in various ways, such as the "Hydrangea Walking Path," "Kawari Gaku Shichito Meguri (Varied Lacecap Seven Islands Tour)," and "Annabelle Hill." The Izu Islands are considered the largest native habitat of lacecap hydrangeas, and rare mutated lacecap hydrangeas that have evolved across the islands are also planted here. A hydrangea festival is held every June.

The Rabbit Forest is an area where rabbits roam freely inside the garden. Lacecap hydrangeas multiplied naturally here, forming a forest over a period of 20 years.

Viewing and Experience Tips

• ​Views from Fujimi-no-Oka​​: Standing on the grassy hill offers a panoramic view of the Izu Peninsula and Mt. Fuji. According to Yamashita Takashi, the garden's "village chief," Mt. Fuji can often be seen straight ahead during the dry air of autumn and winter, and the sunset from the hill is also said to be exceptionally beautiful.
• ​Rabbit Forest​​: Rabbits will approach as soon as you step inside. There are rabbit burrows throughout the open space and many rabbits around your feet, so please do not run. You can feed them, but take care not to place your fingers right at the rabbits' mouths.
• ​Annabelle Hill​​: Annabelle smooth hydrangeas are planted in the natural forest next to the lawn plaza. The flower color changes from green, to pure white, and back to green.

Visitor Tips

It takes about 10 minutes by bus from Motomachi Port or Okada Port, and the garden is right by the Tsubaki-hana Garden bus stop. The lawn plaza in the back of the grounds covers a total area of 3,000 tsubo (approx. 9,900 square meters), and spending time lying down barefoot is recommended. The "Hydrangea Walking Path" is about 700 meters long, with shortcuts available if you get tired. During the hydrangea festival, this path becomes the walking course, so the go-karts in the garden are suspended. For those wishing to compare camellia gardens, the camellia garden at Oshima Park, another International Camellia Garden of Excellence, can also be recommended.