Unzen

Introducing Unzen

Unzen is a very active volcanic centre. Home to Japan’s first national park (1934), Unzen’s woodsy walks and paths are clearly signposted in English and you can explore the town and nearby trails in an afternoon. For town maps and help with accommodation, check with the resourceful Unzen Tourist Association (73-3434; 9am-5pm).

The bubbling and spurting jigoku (hells; actually boiling mineral hot springs) currently boil nothing more sinister than the popular wayside snack of eggs, known as onsen tamago; a few centuries ago the same fate was reserved for 30 stubborn Christian martyrs who were tossed into bubbly Oito Jigoku.

Today you can voluntarily boil yourself at any of the resort’s luxury hotels, though budget travellers will likely prefer the three excellent public baths, all within walking distance of the bus station:

Kojigoku (73-3273; admission ¥400; 9am-9pm)

Shin-yu (0957-73-3545; admission ¥100; 9am-11pm, closed Wed)

Yunosato (73-2576; admission ¥100; 9am-10.30pm, closed 10th & 20th each month)

The ultramodern Unzen Spa House (73-3131; admission ¥800; 9am-6pm), next to the Unzen Tourist Association office, even has a glass-blowing workshop (lessons ¥2000 to ¥3000 per 10 to 15 minutes, enough time to make something to break on your way home).

From the town there are popular walks to Kinugasa, Takaiwa-san and Yadake, all situated within the Unzen-Amakusa National Park, Japan’s oldest national park. The Unzen Visitors Centre (73-3636; 7am-6pm 10 Apr-2 Nov, 9am-5pm 3 Nov-9 Apr, closed Thu), opposite the Kyūshū Hotel, has excellent displays on flora and fauna and plentiful information in English, especially about hiking trails. Around town, the 1300-year-old temple, Manmyō-ji (73-3422), rebuilt in 1638, and the screeching, geyserlike Daikyōkan Jigoku are worth seeing.

Outside town, reached via Nita Pass, is Fugen-dake (1359m), part of the Unzen-dake range, with its popular hiking trail. The views of the lava flow from the summit are incredible.

The bus to Nita-tōge parking area, the starting point for the Fugen-dake walk, operates regularly between 9am and 3pm (¥370, 20 minutes) from Unzen’s Shimatetsu bus station (74-3131); the last bus back to Unzen leaves the Nita Pass car park at 4.30pm. A cable car (ropeway; 73-3572; ticket each way ¥610; 8.55am-5.30pm) whisks you in three minutes close to a shrine and the 1333m-high summit of Myōken-dake, from where the hike to Fugen-dake via Kunimi-wakare takes just under two hours return. You can also walk the 3.5km back from the shrine to Nita via the village and valley of Azami-dani. For a longer excursion (three hours), you can detour to Kunimi-dake (1347m). Along the way you can get a good glimpse of Japan’s newest mountain, the smoking lava dome of Mount Heisei Shinzan (1486m) (literally ‘new mountain’), created in November 1990, when Fugen-dake blew its stack.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009