Hidakasanmyaku Erimo Tokachi National Park was added to Your Favorites!
Taiki, Hokkaido
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Hidaka-sanmyaku Erimo-Tokachi became Japan's 35th national park on June 25, 2024.
Its 245,668 hectares of land make it Japan's largest national park by land area.
The Hidaka Mountains extend roughly 140 kilometers north to south, forming a dramatic spine through southern Hokkaido.
Poroshiri-dake takes its name from Ainu words meaning great mountain, reflecting the cultural significance of the Hidaka range.
Hidaka kombu is harvested along the rocky coast and valued in Japanese cooking for the savory flavor it adds to dashi.
Poroshiri-dake reaches 2,052 meters, the highest point in the Hidaka Mountains and their only summit above 2,000 meters.
The Hidaka Mountains formed as tectonic plates collided, lifting rocks from different levels of the Earth's crust toward the surface.
Mt. Apoi contains unusually fresh peridotite originating in Earth's upper mantle, providing scientists with clues about the planet's interior.
Mt. Apoi rises only 810 meters, yet alpine plants begin appearing at elevations around 350 meters.
Around 80 alpine plant species grow on Mt. Apoi, including nearly 20 endemic forms found only in the Apoi Mountains.
Mt. Apoi's peridotite soils contain high concentrations of magnesium and nickel, helping create the unusual conditions supporting its specialized flora.
Summer sea fog cools Mt. Apoi and helps create alpine-like conditions at remarkably low elevations.
The Mt. Apoi Alpine Plant Community has been designated a Special Natural Monument of Japan since 1952.
Hidakaso is one of Mount Apoi's signature endemic alpine flowers, growing naturally only in the Apoi Mountains.
Apoi-maimai is a land snail found only in the Apoi Mountains and their unusual rocky habitats.
The alpine butterfly Himechamadara-seseri occurs in Japan only on Mt. Apoi.
Ezo pikas live in the Hidaka Mountains, with populations recorded at unusually low elevations in the southern range.
Glaciers once sculpted the highest mountains into cirques, sharp horns and knife-edged arêtes still visible today.
The upper Saru River contains a remarkably intact primeval forest designated as a National Natural Monument.
Cape Erimo's rocky offshore reefs provide habitat for harbor seals, which can often be observed from the cape.
The waters around southern Hidaka are influenced by both warm and cold ocean currents, supporting marine life from different climatic zones.
Kombu and sea urchin fisheries support seasonal livelihoods and connect the Hidaka coast to Japanese food traditions.
Cape Erimo's revegetation program began in 1953, developing a method that used seaweed to help establish vegetation on the windy coast.
Toyoni Lake is naturally shaped somewhat like a horse's hoof and is also widely known as Hokkaido's “Heart Lake” when viewed from above.
Funbe in Funbe Falls comes from an Ainu word for whale, preserving a local connection between language and the sea.
