The four seasons in Kujukushima

Spring

The warm winds of spring bring the promise of new life, when the trees bud and flowers start blooming across the area—from fields of azaleas high in the hills around Sasebo to the purple blossoms of a rare vine on the island of Tokoi. People begin to prepare for the busy fishing and tourism season. After the sometimes cold and even snowy days of winter, the Kujukushima islands flourish in a warm temperate climate.

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**1，Tobikazura Vine**

first discovered in 2000 on Tokoi Island, just northeast of Takashima Island (the second-largest island in Kujukushima), this rare flowering plant is found in only one other spot in Japan. It blooms with purple flowers from mid-April to early May.

**2，Drying Hijiki Seaweed**

Spring is the season for collecting and preparing hijiki, a type of seaweed from the sargassum family that is commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It grows extensively in the waters around Kujukushima, and can be seen drying on Takashima Island and other locations, slowly turning from brown to black as it dries.

3，Nagushiyama Park

The observatory in this park to the northwest of the city of Sasebo offers one of the finest views of the northern Kujukushima islands. In spring, some 100,000 azaleas can be seen in bloom across the slopes below the observatory.

4，Goshinkosai Festival

This Shinto festival is a traditional ritual of spring, during which prayers are offered for safety on the sea, successful fishing in the coming season, and happiness at home. The festival is held in the Kosaza area of Sasebo City.

Summer

During the hot summer months, the Kujukushima area can feel quite tropical. Many of the region’s flowers bloom abundantly in the warm climate. Visitors to the islands can enjoy the deep-blue sea and sky and the cooling breezes from the ocean. This is the busiest time in the islands. The seashores, too, are alive with diverse and distinctive plant and animal life.

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**5，Kanoko Yuri Lily**

This glorious lily, sometimes called the Japan lily (although several other species are often given the same name), is the official flower of Sasebo. It is also known as the fawn lily, as the peach-colored petals speckled with red are said to resemble the spotted back of a young deer.

6，Hibiscus hamabo

Hamabo, a yellow hibiscus, announces the arrival of summer in Kujukushima. Like many species of hibiscus, the hamabo flower only lasts a single day—but another flower is ready to bloom after the first has withered. This bright plant blooms from mid-July to early August.

**7，Hamaomoto Giant Crinum Lily**

This lily (Crinum asiaticum) grows to a height of 1 meter. It blooms at night and has a very strong fragrance. Because its seeds are transported by ocean currents, the flower is found widely throughout the Kujukushima islands.

Autumn

The cool breezes of autumn mark the start of the season of migrating birds in Kujukushima and the rest of western Kyushu. Some come to spend the winter while others, including the Chinese sparrowhawk (akahara taka, Accipiter soloensis) and the crested honey buzzard (hachikuma, Pernis ptilorhynchus) pass through the region on their way to the nearby Goto Islands and on to Southeast Asia. It is also the season of vibrant autumn foliage, a striking phenomenon in this warm temperate climate.

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8，Sociable Seagulls

Before winter arrives, large groups of seagulls (kamome) gather in the islands. The sight of hundreds of them perched on individual fishing buoys has become a scene associated with autumn for locals.

**9，Autumn Statice (Hamasaji)**

This tough plant (Limonium tetragonum) is highly salt tolerant, so it is a common sight along the shoreline during the autumn blooming season. Its name, which literally means “beach spoon,” comes from the leaves’ resemblance to a spoon (saji).

10，Kujukushima Islands Day

On September 19 the city of Sasebo celebrates Kujukushima Islands Day. A variety of events and activities are held to highlight the many delights of the islands to both visitors and locals.

11，Autumn Colors

The hazelnut and wild cherry trees found on many of the islands of Kujukushima turn bright red during autumn, creating a striking contrast with the surrounding blue sea.

Winter

The chilly winter months are the quiet season in Kujukushima. The winter sea is transparent and the air is clear, so the vast spread of the islands can be viewed unobscured by mist. The 208 islands act as a natural breakwater, quieting what might otherwise be rough winter seas.

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12，Hamajincho

In Japan this flowering plant (Myoporum bontioides) is only found in areas around western Kyushu and Okinawa. Due to its rarity, a colony on Okinawa has even been designated a Natural Monument. Ocean currents distribute the seeds, which can sometimes be seen bobbing on the surface of the water.

13，Funakoshi Observatory

A boat ride through the islands is a great way to experience Kujukushima, but the bird’s-eye view offered by an observatory allows visitors to grasp the sheer expanse and density of the islands. This barrier-free observatory not far from the islands is considered one of the finest places to gain such a view of the region.

14，Winter Scenery

Although Kujukushima has a hot and sunny warm-temperate climate throughout the summer, in the winter snow does fall across the islands. While the mild, marine climate means that the snow does not tend to accumulate, several times a year the snowfall creates an entirely different landscape.

15，Kujukushima Oyster Festival

The waters around the islands are home to one of Japan’s largest oyster cultivation industries. Their delicious product is branded as the Kujukushima Oyster, and each winter this event brings in thousands of visitors eager to sample fresh oysters just pulled from the ocean.