Nagasaki Bana Cape

Nagasaki Bana Cape on Oita's Inland Sea coast is as much a working landscape as a resort, with canola and sunflower fields producing oils distributed to restaurants as far as Tokyo and sold directly on-site. The flowers bloom in sequence: canola in spring, hydrangeas in early summer, and over 1.4 million sunflowers in late summer. Scattered around the grounds are thirteen stone 'invisible benches' created by Yoko Ono, her poems engraved into each surface. Accommodations range from bungalows to tent sites, and the beach offers swimming and fishing. It is the kind of place that works just as well for an afternoon stroll as an overnight stay.