Page 183 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

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Table 10.3 The major national parks with volcanic tourism resources
Name Island Characteristics

Shiretoko National Park Hokkaido Established 1964, UNESCO world heritage site, hot springs waterfall
Akan National Park Hokkaido Established 1934, craters, caldera, boiling mud and hot springs
Kushiro Shitsugen National Park Hokkaido Established 1987, wetlands ecosystems
Daisetsuzan National Park Hokkaido Established 1934, largest national park in Japan, 16 peaks over 2000
metres in three volcano groups, includes the hot spring resorts of
Asahidake Onsen, Fukiage Onsen, Sounkyo Onsen and Tenninkyo Onsen.
6 million visitors per year

Shikotsu-Toya National Park Hokkaido Established 1949, named after the volcanic caldera lakes of Lake Shikotsu
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and Lake Toya. The popular hot spring resort of Noboribetsu is in the park
Towada-Hachimantai National Park North Honshu Established 1936, includes Towada caldera and Lake Towada. Hachimantai
plateau is an area of ancient volcanic activity, with boiling mud pools, steam
and smoke vents and hot springs
Bandai-Asahi National Park Tohoku, Honshu Established 1950, includes Mt Bandai (noted for its eruptions), the Azuma
volcanic group, important religious sites (Mt Dewa-Sanzan); snow covers
these into the summer making hiking, camping and skiing very popular
there
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Nikko National Park Kanto, Honshu Established 1934, includes the Nikko-Shirane shield volcano that last
erupted 1952, Lake Chuzenji
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park Honshu Established 1936, includes the most famous of all the Japanese volcanoes,
Mt Fuji and its associated tourist attractions. Approx 150 million people
visit the area every year. The park is actually a collection of dispersed
tourist sites rather than a discrete location
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Chubu-Sangaku National Park Honshu Established 1934, this park is popularly known as the Japan Alps National
Park and includes more than 100 peaks some over 3000m. Ravines and
lava plateaus branch out from these mountains. Many hot springs are
available at the foot of the mountains
Hakusan National Park Honshu Established 1962, this park forms the backbone of the Hokuriku area and is
noted for its heavy snowfall. Hakusan (2702m) is a tholoide style volcano
with eight craters near the summit and is regarded as one of the three
most noted mountains in Japan together with Mt Fuji and Mt Tateyama
Daisen-Oki National Park Honshu Established 1936, this park includes Mt Daisen, the highest mountain
(1729m) in the Chugoku region, and a tholoide style volcano. The best
season to visit this park is from spring to autumn, there are many spas in
and around the park such as Kaike, Tamatsukuri and Sanbe
Source: Ministry of the Environment, 2002

and Noboritbetsu-rinkai-onsen hot springs, and has kinds of water containing minerals such as hydrogen
a rich variety of scenery including forests, lakes and sulphide, salt and iron. The quality of these minerals
marshes. It has been designated a part of Shikotsu- results in the spa being ranked among the world’s
Toya National Park, and is a preferred domestic most exceptional hot springs. Apart from this the
tourism destination despite its relative isolation. The most impressive scene at the hot spring is the jigoku
Noboribetsu-onsen is one of Hokkaido’s best- valley (hell valley), where yellowy grey volcanic gas
known hot springs, and is surrounded by virgin forest seeps from the rocks. This makes the whole place
200 metres above sea level. It has over ten different smell strongly of sulphur. The valley is in fact a

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