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Joshin’etsukogen NP, Nagano / Gunma
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Grazing cattle helped create Yunomaru’s scarlet azalea sea: from 1904, they ate surrounding plants but avoided the toxic azaleas. The resulting grove of about 600,000 shrubs became a national Natural Monument in 1956.
In Japan, the rare Miyama white butterfly is now found only in parts of the Southern Alps and at Yunomaru. Its caterpillars spend winter together in a silk nest—a surprisingly sociable habit for a butterfly.
The old trail from Shinbari over Jizō Pass to Kazawa’s hot springs was marked by 100 stone Kannon figures, about 110 m apart. Made between 1864 and 1873, they guided travelers seeking healing in the springs.
At 1,735 m, Yunomaru has Japan’s only indoor pool built specifically for high-altitude training. Swimmers can train in its 50 m, eight-lane pool without traveling overseas to reach the thin mountain air.
A record from 1186 names Mihari no Maki (新張牧), an ancient pasture near present-day Tomi. Whether its grazing lands extended over Jizō Pass into Yunomaru remains an open historical question.
The volcanic history of the Yunomaru area began at nearby Mt. Eboshi about 1 million years ago. Over time, volcanic activity shifted eastward, building the chain toward today’s Mt. Asama.
At Ikenotaira Wetland, sharp temperature swings help plants from low foothills grow alongside species usually found in 3,000 m alpine country—even though this wetland sits at about 2,000 m.
When formal ranching ended in 1995, trees and brush began shading the sun-loving azaleas. Cattle grazing continued, and conservation groups now cut back encroaching growth to help keep the historic flower fields open.
Nearby Kazawa Onsen, beyond Jizō Pass, is where mountaineer Eizaburo Nishibori and his Kyoto University climbing companions created the well-known song “Yukiyama Sanka” (“Snow Mountain Anthem”).
