by Sonali Dutta
Japan is made up of thousands of islands. As it is located Shikoku itself, Zennyujitou can also be described as an island-within-an-island. Tokushima`s Zennyujitou Island is the biggest uninhabited island in a river in the country. Aside from that unique claim to fame, this Island is noted for its abundance of sunflowers in the summer. They are at their best around the end of June to mid-July, although tend to last until mid-August. I went there by car with friends in July 2021.
Years ago, the island was actually inhabited and there were farms on the area. As time went on, it was abandoned and the land became disused. In an attempt to transform the space, sunflower seeds were planted leading to the abundance of flowers today. The area is flat, with no trees or buildings so create shade so the sunflowers get the maximum amount of sunlight.
It’s easiest to drive there, but Zennyujitou can also be reached by walking about ten to fifteen minutes from Awa-Kawashima train station, crossing Sensui bridge. It might be handy to know that the kanji for the island is: 善入寺島. The island is located between Awa and Yoshinogawa cities. It`s difficult to miss the large fields of the bright yellow flowers spread across Zennyujitou. There are a number of sunflower fields that peak at slightly different times, so within the season you are bound to find flowers in full bloom.
Needless to say, Zennyujitou offers fantastic photograph opportunities from both up close and at a distance. On the day I visited, it seemed like sunflowers outnumbered people and many of the blooms were taller than me! Making the effort to visit Zennyujitou is well worth it to be surrounded by fantastic flowers.
More information can be found about Zennyujitou island can be found here.
Teaspoon of Sunshine 