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Unzen-Amakusa NP, Nagasaki
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In Senbongi, the rare Shimabara ichigo (a wild raspberry) was feared wiped out when pyroclastic flows struck. It spread back across the barren deposits, with birds carrying its dark-red berries—and seeds—farther.
Before the eruption, Fugen was Unzen’s highest peak. Heisei Shinzan rose to 1,486 m—127 m above Fugen’s 1,359 m—then later collapses trimmed it to 1,483 m. It remains the area’s highest summit.
May 20 marks this mountain’s story twice: its first lava dome appeared on May 20, 1991; Shimabara and then-Obama named it Heisei Shinzan on May 20, 1996, to commemorate disaster and recovery.
Oshigatani, between Taruki Plateau and Inao-yama, was buried under about 124 m of eruption deposits—roughly the height of a 40-storey building. A local geology guide maps the dramatically changed landscape.
A tabunoki (Machilus thunbergii) at the center survived the disaster’s fires. Its dense evergreen canopy may have helped it escape breakage and ignition in the pyroclastic flow—though the site’s sign also credits luck.
The center sits beside a long-term forest study plot. Researchers chose Taruki Plateau because it was the only location where eruption deposits remained as they had after the disaster, making nature’s return measurable over generations.
One emergency shelter along the trail has a small viewing platform on its roof. Built for a still-active volcano, it doubles as a lookout—with Heisei Shinzan’s summit only about 2.5 km away.
Heisei Shinzan became a National Natural Monument on April 5, 2004—less than 13 years after its first lava dome appeared. The center gives visitors a close view of this remarkably young protected landmark.
