Yadake Hiking Trail
This is the path to the summit of Mt. Yadake (971 m), one of the two mountains closest to Unzen Onsen Town. Literally translated as “Arrow Peak,” the mountain’s name comes from its clear triangular appearance when viewed from the northeast. Mt. Yadake is more than 150,000 years old.
The trail ahead is replete with plants native to Unzen. Japanese cedar, cypress, and dogwood form the forest canopy. The lower growth is full of plant life, including Japanese holly, wild ginger, and the famous miyama-kirishima azaleas. Numerous birds inhabit the woods of Unzen; the Japanese bush warbler (uguisu), narcissus flycatcher (kibitaki), and Japanese white eye (mejiro), among many others, can all be heard and seen on the mountain trail.
The trail has an excellent view of the Unzen Golf Course, the second-oldest course in Japan. Towering to the north of Mt. Yadake are Mt. Nodake (1,142 m), Mt. Myōken (1,333 m), and Mt. Heisei Shinzan (1,486 m). Near the top of Mt. Yadake, it is sometimes possible to smell the sulfur from the hot springs below. The view at the summit encompasses Tachibana Bay to the northwest and the Ariake Sea to the east.