Designated a national natural monument along with Aomori Prefecture’s Natsudomari Peninsula, this is the northernmost region of Japan where wild camellias grow. They grow mostly around the Mt. Notoyama area, where 308 camellia plants have been confirmed according to a 2010-2011 survey. From a sad legend of two young lovers which tells how camellias came to grow on Mt. Notoyama, to the many local place names with “tsubaki” (the Japanese word for “camellia”) in them, Oga City has a deep connection with camellias and they are an important cultural artifact protected by local residents.
