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Kirishima Kinkowan NP, Miyazaki
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Ebino Kogen is the world’s only natural home of the nokai-do, a small wild apple relative. Botanist Tomitarō Makino discovered and named it; its habitat was designated a National Natural Monument in 1923.
A popular explanation for “Ebino” starts with susuki grass: volcanic gases can turn its autumn plumes reddish-brown—the “color of shrimp,” or ebi no iro. It’s a commonly cited theory for the name, rather than a certain etymology.
In autumn, male sika deer call “keen, keen” through the dark to attract females. Ebino’s wild-deer chorus was chosen for Japan’s “100 Soundscapes to Preserve,” a national selection of memorable natural sounds.
Byakushiike, a shallow crater lake about 250 meters across, once froze deeply enough for people to skate on its natural ice. A national tourism-agency guide says warmer conditions have stopped the lake from freezing.
The red-pine woods along the pond trail may look carefully planted, but they grew in a wave during the 1920s, after volcanic activity eased enough for trees to take hold.
Tsutsujigaoka’s famous azalea meadow has a human story: in the 1950s, tourism pioneer Shōtarō Iwakiri cut back susuki grass to help the wild azaleas thrive. Grass-cutting remains part of caring for the area.
Miyama Kirishima azaleas flourish in Ebino’s harsh volcanic conditions. Poor soil and volcanic activity can slow surrounding forest from spreading over the open habitat the low-growing azaleas need.
Ebino Kogen was not just a scenic escape: records place Shugendō mountain ascetics and Satsuma lords here by the 10th century. Sulfur mining later became established and continued until 1962.
Local tradition traces Ebino’s May horse-head Kannon festivals to the Batō Kannon beside Rokkannonmi Pond. In a region where cattle and horses were important, the deity was revered as their guardian.
Fudōike is a volcanic crater lake only about 200 meters wide, yet its highly acidic water has a striking cobalt-blue color. The lake can be seen from the prefectural road through Ebino Kogen.
