Jacaranda
Jacarandas were planted in Obama Hot Springs around 1968. Kichima Suetsugu, a native of Kuchinotsu town and a government advisor in Ethiopia, sent seeds to his friend Jinjirō Kusano (former mayor of Obama Town) and asked him to plant them. They are now planted along National Route 57 in Obama where the area is now known and loved as ‘Jacaranda Street’.
The jacaranda, a subtropical plant, grows large in the hot-spring town of Obama and they have now become a seasonal feature of the rainy season, with the best time to see them being around June. The large, purple petals have a subtle fragrance that attracts visitors. In recent years, the ‘Obama Hot Springs Jacaranda Festival’ has also been held.