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Fuji-Hakone-Izu NP, Tokyo
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Along one stretch, vegetation recovering from eruptions shifts from open grassland toward woodland. The road lets you follow a process that takes centuries—and gives “Rebirth Road” its fitting name.
After the 1986 eruption, Hachijo itadori sprouted on bare ground within about a year. Its three-winged seeds ride island winds, while long roots probe lava cracks—an ingenious first step in the regrowth seen around the route.
The leafy stretch is “Komorebi Tunnel”; the more open young-growth section is “The Road That Will Become a Forest.” These names were chosen in a 2018 route-naming project that drew 216 submissions.
The Hachijo susuki grass spreading across the volcanic landscape can reach about 2 metres tall. Islanders once used it for cattle fodder and thatched roofs, and planted it along fields to help keep soil in place.
In April and May, Shichito violets—an Izu-island endemic—flower from gaps in the black scoria beside the path. A landscape shaped by eruptions has room for these delicate seasonal surprises, too.
The shaded “Komorebi Tunnel” stays cool enough that higurashi cicadas often sing even around midday in summer. Their calls make a charming sound cue as the route passes from open volcanic ground into woodland.
