Apart from its rich culture and unique cities, Japan also boasts some spectacular wilderness areas. Bandai-Asahi National park, which straddles the borders of Yamagata, Niigata, and Fukushima prefectures in northern Japan is perfect for outdoor adventures. Looking glass lakes, primeval woodland, and stoic mountains and volcanoes are some of what this vast nature reserve has to offer. Here are a few of the best ways to experience Bandai-Asahi National Park.
Hiking
Hiking has been a popular pastime in Japan for centuries. Walking through Bandai-Asahi picture-book forests is almost a spiritual experience. The Goshikinuma Pond trails go past a few multicolored ponds, each with its own distinctive, otherworldly shade. Most adventurous hikers can go up the park’s namesake mountain Mt. Bandai.
Canoeing
After Mt. Bandai’s violent eruption in 1888, large parts of the forest were buried under ponds and lakes. You can explore this relatively new waterscape in a canoe or a kayak with the help of a local guide.
Cycling
If you’re an adventure-seeking traveler, mountain bikes are one of the more adrenaline-fueled ways to explore Bnasai-Asahi National Park. There is a cycling route that goes up the mountains, and a longer hiking and cycling track called Hibaichi tracing around Lake Hibara.
Wildlife Watching
Bandai-Asahi National Park is one of Japan’s top birdwatching and wildlife sanctuaries. It’s home to more than a hundred species of birds including nightingales, cuckoos, herons, and eagles. You might also spot macaques and Asiatic black bears roaming around the park.