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    Ise-Shima National Park is a place of evergreen forests, limestone coastlines and inlets dotted with islands.
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    A whooper swan in Akan-Mashu National Park in the blue hour, the dying light just after sundown.
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    To shoot “big snow”, trekkers and belching fumaroles, Yamashita had to strap on snowshoes and hike his way up.
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    Lake Akan is the only place in the world where a freshwater algae forms into clusters of big velvety spheres. In winter, guides lead snowshoe and smelt-fishing tours on the lake’s frozen surface.
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    Aso-Kuju National Park, designated in 1934, was one of Japan’s first national parks and is today one of 34 around the country. The Aso caldera is one of the world’s largest.
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    Japan’s national parklands boast picturesque landscapes and protections for native flora and fauna as well as traditional myths that date back centuries.
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    Of the many waterfalls in Oirase Gorge in Towada-Hachimantai National Park, the powerful and magnificent Choshi Otaki Waterfall is the largest and the only waterfall along the main Oirase River.
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    Murakami (L) is one of four nature guides at Kai, a company in Towada-Hachimantai National Park that leads tours and manages the Utarube Campground.
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    Legend has it that 20,000 years ago the deities of Mt. Nantai and Mt. Akagi (in Gunma prefecture) grappled over ownership of Lake Chuzenji.
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    The spectacular Dangyo-no-taki Water Falls, on Dogo (one of the Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan), rank among Japan’s top 100 waterfalls.
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    Walking paths help visitors skirt past steam vents in the volcanic valley of Tamagawa Onsen, Towada-Hachimantai National Park. The highly acidic hot springs and hokutolite rocks in the area are widely believed to possess healing properties, making it a popular wellness destination for domestic visitors.
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    In Towada-Hachimantai’s southern Hachimantai section, Tsuru-no-yu’s Kazushi Sato upholds the regional tradition of toji, a therapeutic soak in a volcanic hot spring.
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    The Goshogake Nature Research Path in Towada-Hachimantai National Park encircles an area dotted with deep blue-black fumaroles pooled with heated ground water, as well as other volcanic features such as mud volcanoes.
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    A dive into the undersea wonderland of Keramashoto National Park offers you an incredible opportunity to witness the stunning biodiversity that thrives in these waters – coral reefs, sea turtles, as well as a kaleidoscope of fish including this vibrant shoal of Slender Sweeper fish seen here.
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    Lake Towada in Towada-Hachimantai National Park is the largest crater lake on Japan’s main island of Honshu. Despite being located in the northern highlands, the lake never freezes during winter also known to the locals as the Mystic Lake.
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    Akan-Mashu is known for its breathtaking views of volcanoes, forests and three large lakes – Lake Akan, Lake Mashu and Lake Kussharo.
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    Aso-Kuju National Park’s landscape is dramatic: fields of fuzzy-topped pampas grass, smoke-belching volcanic peaks and foggy forests.
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    Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park’s mystical side, combined with its harsh terrain, has made it a popular pilgrimage site for mountain ascetics (yamabushi).
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    During the frigid winter months, Lake Kussharo attracts migratory whooper swans. The national park is located along a migratory flyway that stretches from Russia’s Far East and Alaska to New Zealand.
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    In winter, red-crowned cranes can be seen performing a bonding dance in and around Akan-Mashu National Park, in northern Japan. The parkland is a habitat for more than 150 bird species.
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    Ise-Shima National Park is a place of evergreen forests, limestone coastlines and inlets dotted with islands.
    Ise-Shima National Park is a place of evergreen forests, limestone coastlines and inlets dotted with islands.
    Photograph by Michael Yamashita
    • Travel

    The wild side of Japan in photos

    Japan's best kept secrets are sometimes found in its national parks

    Published September 24, 2021
    This is Paid Content. The editorial staff of National Geographic was not involved in the preparation or production of this content.

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