After a full dinner and an awesome soak in one of the outdoor baths last night (it was a beautiful starry night when there wasn’t rain getting into my eyes), I woke up to dismal weather. However, the breakfast made up for the weather. It must be said that the food at Kirishima Miyama Hotel is beautiful. Every dish that came out seemed to be better than the previous. Not only is the food good, the staff are also very friendly, and the hot spring baths are great too!

Due to the bad weather, the hike up Takachino-no-mine was cancelled and was changed to the walk around Ebino Kogen. But even that was cancelled when my guide arrived. We started at the Ebino Eco Museum Centre, and learnt more about the creation of the area around Kirishima and the local flora and fauna. Words like “crater lake”, “caledera”, “magma”, “tectonic plates” were heard constantly. It felt like a living lesson on geography! I left thinking that it’d be really interesting to be a geologist for a day (maybe a week).

After that very educational tour at the museum, we left for a pit stop at Shinyu Onsen. Apparently, the waters there are one of it’s kind in Japan. Just 5 mins in the bath will leave you refreshed! I was in there for a little over 5mins and left wanting more. I can’t really explain it, but the waters are definitely different to the one at the hotel. You’ll have to come and try it out for yourselves.

We also went to a crater lake, that usually has a view of Takachiho. An interesting fact about the crater lake is that there are fish in the lake. How did they get there and where did they come from?

Moving on to Takachiho Farm, we had a chance to take a walk around and see some of the farm animals like cows and horses. They also have sheep there but we didn’t get to see any. The cows at the farm produce milk that is used at the shop and restaurant. We also participated in a butter making class, which lasted a maximum of 10mins. That’s how fast it took to make butter!

Finally, our last stop on this rainy day, my guides brought me to the nearby Maruo Waterfall. They explained the geological structure of the waterfall then brought me to see the top of the waterfall. It was all so interesting because the cross section of the waterfall was made by flowing lava over tens of thousands of years.

Thanks to my knowledgeable guides, Nakamura-san and Ishikawa-san, I had a very educational and fun-filled day in the Kirishima Geopark area despite the bad weather. Thank you so much!

Join this walk

Today's journey is a challenging hike up Mount Takachiho-no-mine. The mountain, an important site in the creation story according to Japanese mythology, is where Ninigi no Mikoto, the grandson of the Sun Goddess, is said to have descended to earth.

The walk starts at the Takachiho-gawara Visitor Center. The trail up is steep and leads over loose volcanic rocks in a landscape that resembles that of the moon. Halfway along the ascent, we traverse the rim of a crater. At the summit, we will find the spear which Ninigi no Mikoto left behind upon arriving on earth.

Date	October 7, 2013
Start Time	9:30
Start	Takachiho-gawara Visitor Center (高千穂河原ビジターセンター)
Goal	Peak of Takachihodake (高千穂岳)
Distance	3 kilometers one way (about 2 hours for the ascent)
Terrain	The trail up Takachiho-no-mine is steep and covered in loose volcanic rock, which make the hike somewhat difficult and strenuous. Proper footwear, i.e. sturdy hiking boots are required. This hike is not recommended for casual walkers, but should pose no problems to experienced hikers.
Weather	Average daytime high: 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit) Average nighttime low: 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit) Weather Forecast for Kagoshima
Access	Because public transportation to the trailhead is very infrequent, a rental car is recommended to access today's starting point. There are three buses per day from Maruo Onsen via Ebino Kogen (えびの高原) to the trailhead (Takachiho-gawara Visitor Center), departing Maruo Onsen at 8:30, 10:30 and 12:30. The 8:30 departure from Maruo Onsen arrives at the visitor center in time for today's walk. In the opposite direction, buses leave the visitor center at 13:29 and 15:30. More details on how to get to Kirishima
Lodgings	Kirishima Onsen is an ideal base for the walk; there are a few accommodations at the hot spring town. More lodging options can be found in nearby Kagoshima City. Search hotels in Kirishima Onsen through Booking.com or Japanican Search hotels in Kagoshima through Agoda, Booking.com or Japanican

The Kirishima Mountains once served as a filming location in a movie featuring which fictional character?

The correct answer is: James Bond

A considerable portion of the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice was shot in Kagoshima Prefecture. Ernst Blofeld's base was located in one of the volcanoes of the Kirishima Mountains.

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