In Tsukumi City, Oita Prefecture, there is the fastest blooming cherry tree in Kyushu. These are the Kawazu cherry trees on the Youra Peninsula. A festival called the “Bungo Suido Kawazu Sakura Festival” is held every year around February to March. We will introduce a driving route to fully enjoy the Kawazu cherry blossoms on the Youra Peninsula.

Kawazu cherry blossoms in Tsukumi City

It takes about one hour by car from Fujimax JDM Car Rental to Youra Peninsula. Take the highway from the Oita Mitsuyoshi IC and head south. Exit at the Tsukumi IC to a public road, and from there it takes about 20 minutes to reach destination.

Kawazu cherry trees on the Youra Peninsula were planted in hopes of recovery from the typhoon flood damage that occurred in 2004. Since more trees are planted every year, there are now over 5,000 cherry trees blooming all over the peninsula.

On Youra Peninsula, you can see cherry blossoms blooming in many different areas. There are many cherry trees in bloom at the Tsukumi Dolphin Island parking lot, and beyond that, the Youra Peninsula Observation Deck offers a panoramic view.

You can continue on to Fukarazu, Kotanitaku, and Kuratani. The Kuratani special hanami site is the last stop for cherry blossoms. From there, you can head further north to Ochi Elementary School, which also hosts events during the festival. You can also see wild birds such as Japanese White-eye.

The cherry tree-lined path is basically a straight road, so you will not get lost. In some places, there are parking lots where you can park your car and enjoy the cherry blossoms. However, please be careful not to disturb local residents.