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HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Azaleas and Treehouses in Miyagi
Picnic in a treehouse at one of Japan’s best spots for azalea viewing
Miyagi Prefectural Government
Mount Tokusenjo is a 711-meter-tall mountain in southern Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, and home to over five hundred thousand azalea bushes. The hike up the mountain is an easy 2.5-hour round trip along a trail lined with radiant wild yama-tsutsuji mountain azaleas. Every spring from mid- to late May, the flowers bloom to paint the whole mountain in vivid reds and magentas—a truly a breath-taking sight to behold. Come spring, details about the status of the blooms are updated online daily.
In addition to being a favorite of flower lovers, Mount Tokusenjo is also home to the first two treehouses built by the Tohoku Treehouse Tourism Association, an organization dedicated to working with local people to build one hundred different treehouses all over Tohoku. Tom’s House (treehouse #000) and Dekita House (treehouse #001) are free to explore, and either one makes a nice spot for a picnic lunch.
How to get there
From Ichinoseki Station on the Tohoku shinkansen line, take the JR Ofunato Line 1 hour 24 minutes to Kesennuma Station. From the station it is a ¥3,500-4,000 taxi ride (one way). Alternatively, 45 minutes from the station by seasonal bus (runs weekends during azalea season).
