Mt. Senjō: Chaenbara Field
As a part of Mt. Daisen’s ancient volcanic rim, Mt. Senjō (615 m) formed from eruptions that occurred from around 1 million to 400,000 years ago. While the mountain’s summit is relatively flat, its eastern, western, and northern faces drop away in sheer cliffs that reach to over 100 meters high. The eastern cliff’s distinctive vertical folds were created by columnar joints forming in the cooling volcanic rock, resulting in what is known as a “folding screen” (byōbu) cliff face. To the south of the summit, two cascades known jointly as Senjō Falls spill over the ridge. These are traditionally considered a pair, with the “male” situated to the east and “female” to the west.
Surrounding the summit is a forest of Japanese beech, Japanese horse chestnut, pine, zelkova, and both deciduous and ring-cupped evergreen oak. This species composition characterizes a transitional zone; lower-elevation evergreen broad-leaved forest gradually gives way to temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest at elevations of between 600 and 750 meters.
Beneath the eastern cliff wall spreads the grassy slope of Chaenbara, an important ecosystem where it is possible to spot the rare Japanese paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone atrocaudata) and mountain hawk eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis). Every three years, controlled burns are conducted here to prevent encroachment by the forest and preserve this valuable grassland habitat.