The other day (around mid-April), I photographed the flowers of the otome camellia (otome tsubaki) in the Mt. Rokko of Kobe.

This Mt. Rokko area has been designated as the Setonaikai National Park and has been a suitable place for recreation and summer retreat since the Meiji era.
Mountain villas and recreation centers have been built here and there in the mountains, and there are sightseeing spots such as Rokko Ranch, which is inspired by a mountain ranch in Switzerland, and Arima Onsen, which is counted as one of the three famous springs of pillow grass.

The mountains opened by foreigners in the Kobe Settlement have many katakana names such as Cascade Valley (a valley of many small waterfalls) and Twenty Cross (20 mountain trails), recalling the history of foreigners opening the mountain.

By the way, this time the otome camellia was taken at the place of the Japanese name, Otter Pond in Viper Valley.
Aside from the Mt. Rokko area where many names from the Edo period remain, such as the Shojo Pond introduced here last year, Otter Pond is ...
I wonder if the pond used to be full of otters, and I still look around for signs.

The camellia blooming season is almost over, but now the azalea flowers are brightly colored all over the driveway.
Animals and plants are rich in nature, Mt. Rokko how about ? hiking?