Escape from the stresses of modern life and get back to nature at Ebino Kogen Highlands, a nature resort of volcanoes, lakes, and forests in the heart of the Kirishima Mountain Range. Approximately 1,200 meters above sea level, the average temperature is about 6 degrees centigrade lower than the southern Kyushu average, rarely reaching 30 degrees centigrade even in the summer. The cooler climate means that the basin-shaped plateau is home to vegetation rarely seen so far south.
Flora and Fauna
This area is particularly famous for the Miyama Kirishima azaleas that bloom in late May and the Japanese pampas grass in late August to mid-October. Providing a soundtrack to your nature walk are birds such as the Japanese green woodpecker and cuckoos. Wild shika deer are plentiful, but please remember not to disturb them in their natural habitat and never offer them food.
Facilities
At the Ebino Eco Museum Center, visitors will find displays that explain the plateau’s flora and fauna, as well as information on hiking and events, and everything you need to plan your route through the highlands. For those wanting to stay overnight and enjoy the exceptionally clear starry skies, there is a hotel nearby with a restaurant and day-use hot spring facilities, as well as a large campsite. There is a foot bath next to the car park.
Hiking
Trails of various levels of difficulty wind through the area, from short family-friendly hikes to medium- and long-haul treks heading deeper into the mountains. A nature trail that wends its way around the three lakes to the north of the plateau makes for a half-day route, and there are shorter walks that can be completed in around two hours.
Mountains and Lakes
Sitting high in the Kirishima Mountain Range, Ebino Kogen Highlands is surrounded by volcanic mountains. The highest, Mt. Karakuni, rises 1,700 meters above sea level. The area is also home to volcanic crater caldera lakes, most notably the cobalt blue Lake Fudoike.