Today May 8 is the last day of the Golden Week holiday, but it feels like it is almost summer here in Okinawa, with so many outdoor activities and places to visit (when it is not raining).
So while the OkiHai website is providing you an article on an event that happened back in February (Okinawa Marathon), or teaching readers that the Japanese word for salmon is “shake” (huh?!), or posting ANOTHER ‘new’ café/restaurant/sushiplace that is within one kilometer of a military base (along with, as usual for OkiHai, very incorrect directions, the current one takes you into Camp Foster. . .??) I am going to give you something to do today or this week since the weather has somewhat cleared up from the rain last week.

Easter Lily in Japanese is Teppoyuri (Yuri is lily) テッポウユリ. Teppo (sometimes written as teppou) means gun, but not any gun. It mostly refers to the old rifles that had a flared end to the barrel, sometimes seen in depictions of the Pilgrims. Thus the long trumpet blossom of the Easter lily looks like that gun design.

There have been a few discussions here on OU about the Easter Lily Festival at Ie Shima. But that is an all day event, involving having to drive far, take a ferry boat (twice if you want to come back), and spending Yen (Oh my!). It is worth going to Ie Shima to see the various sites (Waji and Gusuky-yama offer fantastic vistas), or staying at YYY resort. But going to the Lily Festival also usually involves crowds of peoples. This time of year you can also now see the field of 10,000 sunflowers and many tobacco crops growing on Ie Shima.

Perhaps if you live off base you have noticed the Easter Lilies in bloom around your neighborhood. The ones in my yard’s garden and this neighborhood area are in FULL bloom right now, stunningly beautiful, My gardener cut a few blossoms just before they open, and I brought them inside, setting in water they open quickly, adding a wonderful smell to my living room; an all-natural “Scentsy”.

So you want to see LOTS of lilies but also do not want to do the trek to Ie Shima and the ones around the neighborhood are nice but few in number. Well, there is a place nearby that you can go see many of them for free.
Okinawa Athletic Park in Okinawa City. It is also known as Comprehensive Park, but that name is being phased out, especially on signs (there are several new road signs in that area). Many Americans also refer to this as Awase Sports Park.

You need to go to the southernmost point in the park, south of Route 227 (the road which bisects the park), and along the bay. This is the area with the large silver-domed indoor gym, the pond with arched bridges and boat rentals, (also many koi and ducks; bring along bread or crackers to feed them, but don’t feed the cats!) and a playground for kids (the waterslide and leisure pool are also near this area). Alongside the pond is an area of thick trees and vegetation, along with some tombs visible. There is a boardwalk path and stairs that lead up to the garden area and lookout structure. This is where hundreds of Easter lilies have been planted and produce a beautiful blanket with thousands of blossoms each year. Near the stairs are a few markers (signs, some with photos of lilies on them) indicating the path; look for this on the sign: ユリ園

I was there on April 22 and while there were a few flowers most blossoms were not open yet, however, now they are in full glorious bloom, opening with the warm weather.
There is a round structure which you can walk up to for a nice 360 degree panoramic view of Okinawa City and the bay, all the way to Katsuren Peninsula (White Beach), Tsuken Island and down the east coast of Okinawa. On a clear day you can also see the sacred island of Kudaka, off the Chinen Peninsula.

There is also a second access boardwalk path near the playground. If you have a stroller there is a paved ‘driveway’ (blocked to vehicles) that is close to this boardwalk which also goes from the parking area closest to the water and playground up to the flower park.

You can park your car at any of the park’s lots and then walk around, look at the maps, wander until you will find the dome and large pond (not the small one near the tennis courts) and then the Lily Garden.

Perhaps you are familiar with the park and that area but never knew there is a nice lily garden up there and a lookout with very nice views. NOW is a great time to check it out.

If you know the Manga Souko (recycle shop) store in Awase, the park entrance next to it has a large Ryukyu Torii Gate over the driveway. That is the parking lot to the stadium. If you keep going on Route 227 to the very next traffic signal (before the ‘tunnel’), there is an entrance to the southern portion of the park. You have to turn RIGHT at the traffic signal, and this entrance will take you to one of two parking lots which are closest to that area and adjacent to the pond and lily garden. 

Oh my, sound great! thank you much sTo, i wish i saw this yesterday. Maybe we will go this weekend. 

STO..this is a crazy question but are Easter Lilly's a plant (that grows the lilly's) or is it a tree? We were coming back from Ieki (sp) island the other day and I seen a beautiful tree in someone's yard that had huge white flowers hanging from it that looked like bells (or the barrel of those pilgrim guns you were referring to) but they were upside down hanging. Can you buy those anywhere on island? 

Mrs. Boss:
I know the "tree" you are talking about, that is not the Easter lilies.
I have to find the name of that plant, it is for sale at various places. The flowers all hang down and are much more fragile than lilies. 

They are beautiful anyways. It was a huge tree...I told my husband it looked like a bunch of white bells hanging upside down and I was going to have to find one. 

I very much dislike easter lillies. They make me all kinds of sneezy with an itchy thorat and watery eyes.