Kirishima National Park was the final stop on our 17 day winter roadtrip in Kyushu, Japan. We were here to hike a few more days before heading back to our home in Seoul, South Korea. We left Yakushima by ferry, rented a car in Kagoshima, and drove an hour north-east to Kirishima Kinkowan National Park. As we arrived at our lodge, we learned that Mt. Sakurajima had erupted shortly after we passed it by ferry on the return trip from Yakushima! Wow, that would have been a site!

Kirishima Kinkowan National Park is another Kyushu (literal) hot spot, with the earth whistling steam from all sorts of random spots. Compared to the other national parks we explored during our Kyushu roadtrip, the delights in Kirishima were off the beaten path. I was glad we had rented a car.

Mt. Karakuni Hike

At 1,700 meters (5,570 feet), Mt. Karakuni is the tallest mountain in Kirishima Kinkowan National Park in Kyushu, Japan. Naturally, we had to climb it. The trail starts at the Ebino Eco Museum, where we parked our car. The initial segment of the trail crosses the Ebino-kogen Plateau, which is an alluvial fan forming a basin surrounded by four volcanically-active mountains. The landscape is otherworldly, littered with rocks tossed by volcanic activity, dwarf-size trees and shrubs, hardened lava fields and hissing fumaroles.

We crossed a mineral-rich, iron-colored creek filled with green rocks. As we neared the rest station about half-way to the top, we found ourselves in a foggy white cloud, obstructing the incredible views we had read about. We peeked over the crater at the peak, but could see only a white abyss.

As we approached the Mt. Karakuni shelter hut, though, we dipped below the clouds and caught a brief view of Onamiike Crater Lake’s brilliant blue colors.

There’s a trail from the shelter hut to the lake, but due to the fog, we saved the lake hike for the following day.

Onamiike Crater Lake Loop Hike

Our hope for better weather the following day did not pan out. We hiked anyway, but the fog obscured most of the lake views. We parked at the Onamiike Crater Lake trailhead and hiked 30 minutes up the slippery stone pathway to the lake loop trail at the top. The loop trail circumnavigates Japan’s highest crater lake and takes less than an hour. We did end up getting a few pics of the lake and rime ice, so it wasn’t a total bust… but most of the day was spent in fog.

Makizonocho Takachiho and Waterfalls

Makizonocho Takachiho is the largest town in the national park. We ended up passing through it daily on our route to other sites, such as Maruo Falls and Senriga Falls. It’s a resort town serving numerous ryokans, so there are a number of restaurants and local souvenir and boutique shops. Due to the natural hot springs, roadside “steamers” offer quick bites of steamed food.

We visited two (of many) waterfalls in the park. Maruo Falls is right off of the main road that passes through town. You can see it from the road, or drive up for a closer look. Senriga Falls is an odd little place. We had a hard time finding the trailhead. As we descended down the trail, it turned into a concrete tunnel. At the bottom, we ended up at hydropower plant. We had great views of the waterfall before proceeding into the tunnel, so there was really no need to keep going down. Beautiful walls and mineral water pool, though!

Shankara Lodge

Our best experience in Kirishima was actually Shankara Lodge, the AirBnB we rented. The house had its own private hot spring-fed steam bath and pool area for unlimited spa time. The interior of the house was super cozy and warm, with relaxing lighting. Furthermore, the host is a massage therapist who offers her services to guests. I paid for a 90 minute massage one evening and it was wonderful, complete with candle light and mood music!!

What a perfect place to chill out and relax after an incredible 17 day winter roadtrip across Kyushu. From Kirishima Kinkowan, we drove back to Kagoshima and took a train back to Fukuoka. We stayed one more evening and then returned to Seoul, South Korea the next day.