Kirishima-Yaku National Park

Kirishima-Yaku National Park is famous for its marvelous scenery. In the park's mountains you will also find hot springs and the impressive Senriga-taki Waterfall. During spring the whole region is covered with spring wildflowers. Kirishima-Yaku is excellent for hiking.

One of the nicest volcanic walks in Japan is the day-long trek from Ebino-kogen Village to the summits of a string of volcanoes. You can enjoy shorter walks around a series of volcanic lakes, of which Lake Rokkannon has the most intense, deep blue-green color. You can also walk to the summit of Mount Karakuni-dake, from where you will have excellent views over Kagoshima, the nearest large city. Another interesting feature in Kirishima National Park is the active volcano of Sakurajima, where you can frequently witness hot lava bubbling up and steam escaping from vents in the ground.

You can get to the park by bus from Kagoshima. It runs as far as Ebino-kogen, where accommodation is available. Kirishima-Yaku National Park is 990 km southwest of Tokyo.