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Joshin’etsukogen NP, Gunma
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The center’s salamander exhibit is more than a cute display: around Manza, temperature and acidity determine which waters the animals can live in. Their choice of habitat helps tell the story of this volcanic landscape.
After rainy nights, salamanders can appear on Manza’s roads. The center’s field notes describe animals dispersing at least 500 m from their pond and climbing more than 50 m in elevation during breeding season.
Brochures alone weren’t drawing visitors, so the center shifted toward hands-on salamander encounters and small-group nature tours. Its director reports that proceeds support wildlife surveys and conservation.
From the center’s terrace, you can see 空吹 (Karabuki), where groundwater emerges as white vapor alongside hydrogen-sulfide gas. The volcanic gases leave the exposed slope strikingly bare.
The center’s 2026 万探 (Mantan) tour themes included investigating what bears eat, photographing flowers and butterflies, and watching birds at dawn. Some tours keep numbers small to help protect the environment.
