Senjogahara Wetland
The Senjogahara Wetland is one of the largest wetlands that can be relatively easily accessed from Tokyo. Formed around 10,000 years ago when Mt. Nantai erupted, its name means “battlefield.” It is said that the deities of Nikko’s sacred Mt. Nantai and Mt. Akagi, a nearby mountain in Gunma Prefecture, fought over control of Lake Chuzenji here. The broad wetland, with its lush greenery and fascinating natural history, can be explored via a wooden walkway designed to help conserve the wetland environment.
Plants, including peat moss (Sphagnum), cover the wetland for many kilometers. The wetlands are particularly beautiful between May and October, when Japanese crabapple (Malus sieboldii), hare’s tail cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum), and a wide range of other plants flower. In areas that have accumulated deeper soils, the bright pink flowers of Hozaki shimotsuke (Spiraea salicifolia) bloom profusely, a symbol of the delicate balance and subtle changes within this fragile wetland environment.