Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park

Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park is one of the first national parks in Japan and was established in 1934 as Kirishima National Park. The park is largely divided into northern and southern areas, with the Kirishima area and the Kinko Bay area having distinctive landscapes. In the Kirishima area in the northern part of the park, there are more than 20 volcanoes of various sizes, and there are crater lakes, fumaroles, hot springs, and plateaus created by volcanic activities, as well as a lot of natural vegetation. Many tourists visit Ebino Highlands, Kirishima Hot Spring, Takachiho Plateau, and Kirishima Shrine, which are the main tourist attractions in the Kirishima area. In the Kinko Bay area in the southern part of the park, there are many unique landscapes, including Sakurajima, which is the symbol of the area and still emits a plume of smoke, Mt. and coral communities in the sea area. (Source: Ministry of the Environment website https://www.env.go.jp/nature/nationalparks/list/)