Hiking in Kirishima National Park

Kirishima National Park is an active volcanic mountain range in southern Kyushu around 60km from Kagoshima. This is an area of volcanic wilderness made up of mountains, volcanic lakes, and hot springs connected with several hiking routes best explored from spring to autumn. Hitting the trails is a great way to explore the fascinating volcanic landscape and an area which plays an important role in Japanese mythology - Mount Takachiho-no-mine is believed to be the site where the god Ninigi no Mikoto, grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, was sent to rule over the Earth and establish the lineage of Japanese Emperors.

We highly recommend the Kirishima Ride Trail which traverses the length of Kirishima's mountain range and takes around six hours to complete. This route takes in the National Park’s highest mountain, Mount Karakunidake, which on a really good day has views of South Korea.