Funakubotsutsuji Park

Each May, over 1,200 wild azalea bushes across a mountaintop meadow in Yoshinogawa, Tokushima, burst into a dense carpet of crimson red at roughly 1,000 meters elevation. The colony is designated a natural monument, and the views from up here stretch across the Yoshino River valley to distant peaks. Bloom typically runs two to three weeks in mid to late May, depending on the weather. A moderate forest trail leads up to the blooming area, and the spring birdsong and cool mountain air make the walk feel like a reward in itself. Temperatures at the summit are noticeably cooler than the valley below.