Currently, there’s a photo contest underway on Shodoshima island. Click here for information on how to enter:


参加方法はこちら (Japanese)

There are 24 spots on the island that have been designated as places to be photographed. In this article, I’m going to introduce an area where four of those spots are located: Olive Hill.

Anyone Can Become Kiki! @ Olive Park

The location of the origins of olive growing in Japan and a symbol of Shodoshima island, the spacious Olive Park is found on top of Olive Hill.

This is one of the island’s most popular spots for taking commemorative photos. The area resembles the landscape around the Aegean Sea, and this particular scene is from the movie Kiki’s Delivery Service.

Anyone can become Kiki by borrowing a free magic broomstick at the Olive Museum.

You can take a dynamic photo in front of the Greek windmill or at Herb Shop Koriko, which looks like the Guchoki Bakery in the movie. Why not put your own twist on it and take a photo worthy of winning the photo contest!?

An Abundance Of Olive Trees

Japan’s olive adventure started in 1908 with olive tree saplings imported from the USA. There are now about 2000 trees in the area, which are ready to become a part of your contribution to the photo contest!

Green fruits and white blossoms; the colors change according to season. Capturing every expression the olives offer is a satisfying challenge in itself.

The Original Olive

Among the numerous olive trees, you can also find Japan’s very first!

Planted in 1917, this old fellow is going on 100-years old, yet is still healthy and keeps producing plenty of olives. How about making this ancestral tree the subject of your photo contest submission??

Olive Garden Gourmet Cuisine

Shodoshima Olive Garden lies just to the west of Olive Park, and is the fourth and last spot I’m going to introduce today.

Take a stroll among the olive trees in the garden and you may happen upon some playground sculptures made by Isamu Noguchi. Limited only by the imagination, these abstract, artistic playthings offer many ways for kids to play.

The 6m tall white cylinder has a spiralling slide from top to bottom. The view of Shodoshima from the top is really spectacular. After you’re done playing, the next stop is the observation restaurant Olive Palace Resutorea, which lies on top of the hill.

There you can buy fresh island-grown vegetables and hishio paste, and local delicacies made with vegetables such as the moromimiso vegetable hishio bowl (950 yen).

It’s covered in a lot of olive oil.

There are also many other dishes on the menu with Shodoshima olives for everyone to enjoy, like pasta and olive-somen.

You can fully enjoy Shodoshima here at Olive Hill, but I still have more photo contest spots to introduce. Don’t forget to check out the other articles as well!

Shodoshima Olive Park

Address: 1941-1 Nishimura, Shodoshima, Shozu District, Kagawa Prefecture
Open: 8:30 – 17:00
Closed: Open throughout the year
Tel: 0879-82-2200

http://www.olive-pk.jp/

Shodoshima Olive Garden

Address: 2171 Nishimura, Shodoshima, Shozu District, Kagawa Prefecture
Open: 8:30 – 17:00
Closed: Open throughout the year
Tel: 0120-41-0287
http://www.1st-olive.com/

Photo contest hashtags:
Olive Park #05olivepark
Olives #03olive
Original Olive Tree #06olivetree
Olive Garden #04olivegarden

Setouchi Finder Photo-writer: Daisuke Chiba