Lake Akan is a crater lake in Akan National Park in Kushiro, Hokkaido, and is also registered wetland under the Ramsar Convention, where visitors can enjoy the beauty of natural landscapes. The lake is famous for the marimo, a rare growth form of algae, which grows into green balls with a soft, velvety appearance, 2–15 cm in diameter.
Kushiro Marshland is a huge marsh with an overall area of 183 square kilometers and it was the first Japanese registered marshland under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1980. In the marshland, there are about 600 kinds of plants and flowers, 30 kinds of mammals, 9 kinds of amphibians and reptiles, about 170 kinds of birds, 38 kinds of fish and over 1,130 different kinds of insects.
The easternmost tip of Hokkaido, Shiretoko Peninsula juts out into the Sea of Okhotsk is an area which still has plenty of untouched nature. Shiretoko is most famous for the drift ice that forms on the Amur travels southwards and approaches the Shiretoko Peninsula slowly in late January. Shiretoko was designated and registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Natural Site) in 2005. From taking onsen( hot springs), hiking in the summer to shoeing and drift ice walk in the winter, Shiretoko offers fun adventures depending on the season.
Towada-Hachimantai National Park is located in the northern Tohoku Region, extending across the three prefectures, Aomori, Akita and Iwate.The national park is made up with two separate areas. One is the northern area around Lake Towada and the other is the southern area near Hachimantai. The park can be enjoyed throughout the year: climbing and hiking in the fresh green forests from spring to summer and skiing in winter. The park boasts one of the Japan’s best spots for autumn foliage from end of September to middle of October as well as lakes, hot springs and streams.
Zao Quasi-National Park is a Quasi-National Park that extends in the Ou Mountains situated between Miyagi and Yamagata Prefectures.
Symbol of the park is the Crater Lake with a circumference of 1,000m and a depth of 27m. The colors of the water surface changes depending on the intensity of sunlight. Visitors can enjoy hiking through alpine trees in summer and have fun with snow such as skiing and meeting famous snow monsters, threes glazed with snow and ice in winter.
Nikko National Park is a national park in the Kanto region, which spreads over four prefectures: Tochigi, Gunma, Fukushima, and Niigata.
Since Nikko is located approximately 2 hours drive from Tokyo, a trip to Nikko is an ideal place for a day or overnight trip . The beautiful landscapes, such as plateaus, waterfalls, lakes, forests, and rivers around this area are in harmony with sacred shrines and stunning temples. It is particularly picturesque in autumn when the leaves change its color, as well as cherry blossoms season in early spring.
Oze national park, Japan's largest highland marsh is located in the border of the four prefectures of Gunma, Niigata, Tochigi, and Fukushima, and is only a few hours from Tokyo. It is famous as an area rich in rare and precious plants and animals attracting visitors all over the world for its great trekking routes and beautiful landscapes. Oze provides habitats for a wide variety of wildlife, including large mammals, birds and insects, and are home to around 300 species of grasses and plants. Marsh plants such as skunk cabbages and daylilies bloom only a for a short period of time from late spring to autumn.
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park is located in central Honshu consists of 4 regions, world famous Mount Fuji, the "Fuji Five Lakes", the Hakone Geopark, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands extending into Pacific Ocean. It is the most visited national park in Japan, and it is one of the best destinations to admire its natural beauty and enjoy onsen hot springs.
From and To
Nagano / Matsumoto / Karuizawa / Hakuba / Kamikochi
Chubu Sangaku National Park
Chubu Sangaku National Park is one of the Japan’s most famous and oldest mountainous park encompasses the Northern Alps( also called Hida Mountain Range) rising 3,000 meters from sea level from north to south. It includes the Ushiro-Tateyama Mountain Range with Mt. Shirouma as the highest peak, the Tateyama Mountain Range with Mt. Tsurugi and Mt. Tateyama, the Hotaka Mountain Range with Mt. Yarigatake, and Mt. Norikura located at south end of the park.
Chubu Sangaku National Park offers scenic alpine landscapes year-round, and visitors can enjoy many activities such as hiking, climbing in summer and relaxing in onsen( hot springs), skiing and snowboarding in winter.
Kamikochi is a high mountain valley approximately 18 kilometers in length, situated in the Hida Mountains, "the Northern Japan Alps" in Nagano Prefecture. The average elevation of the valley floor ranges between roughly 1,400 m above sea level at the south end and roughly 1,600 m at the northern tip. Kamikochi is one of the popular tourist destinations in Japan where offers some of its most spectacular mountain scenery and a variety of hiking trails. It is open from mid/late April until November 15 and closes down during the winter season. The scenery of Kamikochi enchants visitors throughout the four seasons, from the fresh greenery of spring and the lilies and Malus toringo that bloom in summer, to the colorful foliage of autumn. If you are lucky enough, you may get a glimpse of animals including Japanese macaques, stoats, rabbits and serow in their natural habitat.
Ise-Shima National Park is a national park on the Shima peninsula located in the eastern tip of Mie Prefecture. It stretches over the cities of Ise, Toba, Shima and Minami-Ise, occupying a large area of about 56,000 hectares. The Ise-Shima National park is made up of two areas: one is the inland area where the Ise Grand Shrine is located, surrounded by a vast forest, and the other is the seaside area including a ria coastline and coastal terrain of sea cliffs and caves. The region was designated as the nation’s first post-war national park on November, 1946.
Amanohashidate is a pine covered sandbar in Miyazu Bay which divides the bay into two halves. It forms part of the Tango-Amanohashidate Oeyama Quasi National Park. It is also known as one of the Japan’s Three Scenic Views. Viewing from the mountains at either end of the bay, the sandbar looks like a pathway between heaven and earth, that's how its name in Japanese "bridge in heaven" originated. Several other attractions can be explored in the area, like temples, shrine and a small amusement park.
Shirahama Beach located in the southwestern part of Wakayama Prefecture is one of the best beaches in the Kansai regions. Shirahama means” White Beach” in Japanese, and it attracts tourists not only for a 500 meter long white sand, but also clear water. This region facing the Pacific Ocean is also famous for onsen hot spings, and you can enjoy various types of marine sports such as scuba diving, jet skiing, surfing and boat tours.
The Yoshino-Kumano National Park consists of the central mountainous area and the southern coastline of the Kii Peninsula, which spans Wakayama, Mie and Nara Prefecture, established in 1936. The park includes Mt. Yoshino, famous cherry blossom viewing spot and Kumano-sanzan, 3 grand shrines, which were both listed as a World Heritage site. There are over 30,000 cherry trees of 200 different types on the mountain, and they can be admired in early spring.
Setonaikai National Park is the largest national park in Japan extending over 11 prefectures from Osaka to North Kyushu. It comprises vast areas of Japan’s inland sea and over 3000 small islands. The astonishing scenery can be enjoyed at an observation platform, Mt. Washu at Kurashiki which is one of the signature sights of the Park offering you a sweeping view of the beautiful islands and the Great Seto Bridge that connects Honshu with Shikoku.
Muroto-Anan Kaigan Quasi-National Park straddles both south of Tokushima Prefecture and Muroto Cape, Kochi Prefecture, located in the southwestern part of the Japanese archipelago. It was designated as a National park in 1964, and covers a total area of 6,225 ha. The coast line offers a variety of characteristics such as sandy beaches, cliffs, rias coast lines, caves and numerous islands.
Ohama Beach is famous for the loggerhead sea turtles come to lay eggs from May to August every year.
Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park is a national park at the southwestern tip of the island of Shikoku, established in 1955. It stretches over Ehime and Kochi Prefectures with an area of 11 .345hectares. The park is known for its coastal areas including islands in the southern part of Shikoku and inland mountains with an altitude around 1.000m. Nurtured by the Japan Current, the waters are home to soft corals and subtropical fish which form its diverse marine life. The main activities at the park are snorkeling, sea kayaking and glass-bottomed boats which offer a chance to see beautiful and colorful underwater scenery.
Unzen-Amakusa National Park is a national park, established in 1934 as Japan’s first national park that covers part of Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures. It consists of two areas: the mountainous Shimabara Peninsula dominated by Mount Unzen in Nagasaki and archipelagic islands of the Amakusa area in Kumamoto. Dinosaur fossils have been found across its island, as well as a rich variety of sea life including dolphins, turtles, coral reef and colorful fish. The Unzen-Amakusa national park is a wonderful mixture of Kyushu region’s natural and cultural heritage. It is a popular destination to hike, snorkel, surf, fish, or taking hot springs.
Aso Kuju National Park is located in the center of Kyushu, and consists of the active volcanoes of Mount Aso and the Kuju mountain range, stretching across Kumamoto and Oita Prefectures. Mount Aso is one of the largest calderas in the world formed by an eruption that occurred some 90,000 years ago. The park boats an spectacular views of the mountains, onsen hot springs and grassy fields, and offers some activities such as hiking, camping, horse back riding and even helicopter tours.
