This week, we carry on our journey in search of the best flower spots in Japan.

Begin by boarding the Senmo line to Okhotsk, but do satisfy your belly first and make a pit stop at Shari, a port town by the Sea of Okhotsk. While near the sea, the obvious choice for a sumptuous and satisfying meal can only be seafood. Arriving at a restaurant with a good reputation for seafood, tuck into dishes like the rare Menuki fish all caught locally from the Sea of Okhotsk. If you’re looking for just one thing to order, do try the vaunted seafood bowl which provides a substantial yet diverse range of seafood such as scallops, salmon and prawns or the salmon roe and sea urchin with rice.

Travelling approximately 25 minutes by train along the Sea of Okhotsk and alight at the Gensei-Kaen station. First visit the Koshimizu wild flower park, a wild flower paradise on a dune of Okhotsk. The park boasts a total of 70 kinds of wild flowers which bloom during its short summer. While there, do look out for the yellow day lily, the black lily and the Ezo lily which can be seen till the beginning of July. But do especially get a good smell of the Sweetbrier (Hamanasu) and the lily of the valley, both of which are used in Hokkaido as fragrance materials.

The next destination for a flower tour is Yamanashi and begins from Fujiyoshida, at the foot of Mount Fuji. Unbeknownst to many, Uchino in Oshino village is a secret viewing spot of flowers with Mount Fuji acting as a breathtaking natural backdrop. Farmers who live in the area have for years grown their favourite flowers on the fallow fields, making the sceneries look like picture-perfect postcards. Visitors to the area will even get to see, depending on the season, rape blossoms, sunflowers and even cosmos in full bloom.

When in Yamanashi a must try is the Yamada udon noodle that is a famous dish of the region. Comprising a characteristic fat noodle and made from Fuji water, the recommended cold noodles are an all time favourite especially with the hot weather typical of the season. You may even choose to add many other ingredients of your choice to your bowl of chewy noodles, which some say takes only one taste to get you addicted and coming back for more.

Yet another impressive destination for viewing flower spots in early summer is Kiyosato which is especially impressive when the highland is coloured by lotus azalea (Renge Tsusuji). Coming back to Fuji Yoshida station and taking a bus to Kofu, Uefuki city is covered with peach blossoms during the blooming season. Every year, the town turns pink in April and many fruit farms for tourists to try their hand at picking their own fruit are lined up on “Fruit Road”. Ranging from peaches and apples, to the cherry, Yamanashi’s other famous fruit, savouring fruits plucked fresh from the tree is a refreshing way to keep cool during this time of the year.

Head back to Kofu and stay the night at the Sekisuiji hot spring, that’s also associated with Singen. The inn Koyubo Zabouan is a 20 minute drive along the hill on the green road and boasts a large garden of flowers as well. Most guest rooms are in a Japanese-Western two-room style and the inn also proudly has a splendid view of the Koufu Basin and Kofu City.  Enjoy the top-class hot spring and following which, enjoy a sumptuous elaborate dinner cooked with some of the top quality ingredients of the region. Dishes include cooked eggplant with sea urchin and the fat-marbled Koushu beef steak, a noted product of Yamanashi.

About 30 minutes by express train from Kofu station is Kobuchizawa station, where in waits yet another beautiful flower spot. The16-hectare flower park Fiore Kobuchizawa is a 15 minutes walk from the station, and boasts a total of 500,000 plants of 500 kinds of colourful flowers in all seasons. There are many facilities available in the park. One of which is a flower-pressing studio where visitors can try their hand at decorating various items with pressed flowers, which act as wonderful souvenirs for the trip.

Coming back to the kobuchizawa station, head to Kiyosato by the Panorama highland train and enjoy the view out of the window during the 25 minute ride through the green highland. Kiyosato is a popular tourist destination in the early summer. Before visiting the flower spots, satisfy your hunger pangs by visiting an Italian restaurant that is held in good stead by the locals. The Italian restaurant is highly particular about using local products like eggs and spinach in their cooking. If you’d like to try something different, do have a taste of the herb eggs from the Nakamura farm, whose hens are mainly fed herbs, or Yoshizawa’s spinach and prawn pasta.

Standing about 1500 meters above sea leve, alpine plants are grown in colonies at yet another outstanding flower spot called Utsukushi no mori in Kiyosato. Many tourists visit the area to see the lotus azaleas, which are named after its flower which looks like a lotus flower, colouring the mountain in red. While it may be a steep climb to the top, the fresh air and the view at the top is simply worth the effort.

Head next to the town known for its flowers and hot springs – Yufuin. Upon arrival at the Oita airport, tourists will soon find that there are many place to enjoy both flowers and a great view that simply can’t be seen in the city. Especially popular with young women, Yufuin is a tasteful old town that attracts many tourists and leaves some saying bears resemblance to Kyoto. One doesn’t even need to go very far to get a view of the flowers as colourful flowers are planted everywhere in the town. No matter where one walks to, the aroma from the flowers is hard to miss as well.

Of course how could one miss out on the opportunity of a lovely meal in this quaint town? Head to the long-established inn, Tamanoyu, which also has a vast 3000 tsubo garden with various wild flowers being grown throughout the year, for a meal you won’t forget. If you’re confused about what to order, do try the famous Japanese bento box which is made from a lot of Yufuin local products. Or if you’re lucky or early enough, do try the grilled wagyu beef that is limited to 20 sets a day. Having a meal while being surrounded by flowers definitely will satisfy both your body and soul.

The flower tour in Ohita continues by driving down the Yamanami highway where nature looks as though it has been preserved in its natural state. The destination is the Kujyu flower park, a popular spot at 850 meters above the sea. Also three times as large as the Tokyo dome, 3 million flowers of 500 different species bloom from spring to autumn. The sight of vibrant, colourful flowers littering the garden is absolutely indescribable and is best seen with your own eyes.

At the corner of the Kujyu flower park, a shop offers wreath making classes for visitors. There are five different kinds of wreaths that visitors can choose to make, with various flowers being provided to decorate the wreath.  The wreath is a perfect way to not only decorate your house, but also a wonderful way to remember your trip to the picturesque Kujyu park by.

After enjoying the stunning Kujyu flower park, head to the resort hotel at the bottom of Kujyu Mountains to stay the night. The inn is built on the slope and specially designed for symbiosis with nature. Staying at the inn should also be quite an adventure as it is also situated in a national park, with many wild animals living there. At times, footsteps can be heard from inside the hotel and a pass has even been made for the animals in case they go inside the building.

The hotel boasts a cottage type room that has a woody and relaxing atmosphere, where one can look up at the stars in the heavens or at the wild animals down below. There is even a private open-air hot-spring at the detached building which will provide a relaxing escape, while being surrounded by nature. For dinner, do try the inn’s full French course comprising cold soup made from Kujyu’s local tomatoes, superb Bungo beef, which is a noted product of Ohita and three other luxurious dishes.

In the morning, head to the Kujyu Mountains in search of Miyama Kirishima in full bloom. Walk to the start of the mountain trail through the hotel and follow the road to the flower spot. If you need a breather along the way, there is a secret hot spring at 1303 meters above the sea for you to rest and recharge for the rest of the climb. The highest in Kyushu, the hot spring has been well-loved by mountain climbers since the old days. Thankfully for the cool weather during this time of the season and the beautiful scenery all around, the slightly lengthy climb to the top isn’t so unbearable.

Despite the arduous climb, arriving at the top of the mountain will feel like you’re arriving in a fairytale world, allowing you to cast all your fatigue aside. The superb flower view above the clouds is truly only for those who make the effort to climb all the way up.