Mt.Azuma-Kofuji
- Distance:
- Approx. 1.5 km per loop
- Duration:
- Approx. 50 min.
Millennia of volcanic activity has shaped the rugged landscape of the Azuma mountain range in Bandai-Asahi National Park, creating peaks like Mt. Azuma-Kofuji (1,707 m). The conical shape of the peak and its symmetrically sloping sides draw comparisons to Mt. Fuji—Kofuji means “Little Fuji.” It is a relatively young volcano (approximately 6,000 years old) but has remained dormant for a very long time, with only a slight chance of eruption in the future.
A hike to the crater rim takes around 10 minutes from the Jododaira parking lot. The rim commands panoramas of the Fukushima Basin, the Jododaira Wetlands, and views into the crater, which is approximately 70 meters deep and 500 meters in diameter. It takes around an hour to circumnavigate the rim.
Note that the trail is mostly loose gravel (called scree), and the wind can be strong, so caution is advised, especially while walking around the crater rim.
Okenuma Pond
- Distance:
- Approx. 1 km
- Time:
- Approx. 40 minutes (round trip)
Okenuma (1,595 m) fills the crater of an ancient stratovolcano and is surrounded by a thick deciduous forest. It has a diameter of around 150 meters and a depth of 13 meters. The pond’s deep blue color contrasts with the surrounding greenery in spring and summer, and colorful foliage in autumn. Light-pink clusters of the rare Nemoto rhododendron, native to the region, bloom along the trail to Okenuma from June to July.
The pond can be reached in 10 minutes from the Jododaira Visitor Center. A further 10 minutes along the trail is Usagidaira, where there is a campground and a mountain lodge.
