Kirishima

Kirishima is a field of more than twenty overlapping volcanoes on the Kagoshima-Miyazaki border, the core of Japan's first national park, designated in 1934. Karakuni is the highest at 1,700 metres, and the walk along the ridge past crater lakes - Onami, Fudo, Rokkannon, each a different colour - is the classic route from the Ebino plateau. The range is genuinely active: Shinmoedake erupted substantially in 2011 and again in 2018, and trails around it close and reopen with the alert level, so the plan has to be checked on the day. Kirishima Jingu, rebuilt in 1715 in vermilion and standing in cedar forest below the mountains, is dedicated to Ninigi, the grandson of the sun deity who in the Kojiki descends to earth on these peaks. The Miyama Kirishima azalea, native here, turns the slopes pink in late May.

Highlights

• Coloured crater lakes - Onami, Fudo and Rokkannon along the Ebino ridge walk.
• An active field - Shinmoedake erupting in 2011 and 2018, with trails opening and closing.
• Kirishima Jingu - a vermilion shrine of 1715 in cedar forest, tied to the descent myth.
• Miyama Kirishima - the native azalea turning the slopes pink in late May.

When to go

Late May for azaleas; April to November for walking. Two days.

What to expect

Volcanic alerts close trails at short notice - check the level on the day, not before travelling. Volcanic gas makes some areas unsafe in certain winds. Weather on the ridge changes fast. Public transport to the trailheads is limited.

Nearby

Kagoshima and Sakurajima are south-west; Ibusuki is beyond them.

Key facts