Izu Oshima has another special attraction: the camellia park. The whole park has an area of 327 hectares, including the camellia garden, a small zoo and a campground known as Umi no Furusato Mura, situated close to the Goze River, all managed by the Tokyo Parks Department.
Camellias were originally grown on Oshima for the oil that is pressed from the seed. Wild camellias (yabu-tsubaki, Camellia japonica) grow naturally on this island; to create camellia woodlands, the farmers felled all the other trees. This was done on a local scale on all the Izu islands. Close to the port of Okada there is a small camellia oil factory which is still in operation, but if you go by tour bus you may not see these old factories.
Every part of the camellia plant has some use: A dye is extracted from the leaves; from the wood, small implements and delicate furniture were made, and it also yields excellent charcoal. The most important product, though, was the oil. It was used as a fuel and as a fertilizer, but especially as hair oil.