Oriental paperbush plants are pictured in the Oitomicho district of Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture, on March 31, 2025. (Mainichi/Manabu Niwata)
AYABE, Kyoto — A sightseeing spot in this western Japan city known for its oriental paperbrush and fringed iris plants will remain closed this year amid the threat of bear attacks.
While there have been no bear sightings at the Oriental Paperbush and Fringed Iris Forest in Ayabe, the residents’ group “Suigen no Sato Oitomi,” which manages the site, decided to prioritize safety. Explaining the reason for the closure this year, group head Shogo Sakai said, “Bear sightings have not subsided nationwide. We’re elderly and wouldn’t be able to respond if something happened. And we can’t implement countermeasures.”
The local community center’s toilets and rest area will also be shut.
Oriental paperbrush plants, or mitsumata, usually flower between late March and mid-April, while fringed iris plants, or shaga, bloom between late April and mid-May, and the sightseeing forest is typically open for two months each year. Members of Suigen no Sato Oitomi have welcomed tourists by setting up rest areas and other amenities.
Sakai said that a group that volunteers annually to maintain the site halted its activities last fall due to bear concerns. The flower site, located on private land near the border with the Fukui Prefecture town of Oi, covers about 12 hectares. The group aims to resume operations next season.
(Japanese original by Manabu Niwata, Fukuchiyama Local Bureau)
AloJapan.com