Unzen National Park features the beautiful natural environment centering on the tholoid-type complex volcanoes, consist of several adjacent mountains including 1,486 meter-high (4,953 feet) Heisei-shinzan and 1,359 meter-high (4,560 feet) Fugen-dake. The mountaintop area of Unzen is covered by broadleaf forests of " Itaya-kaede" (Acer pictum or maple trees), and " Nanakamado," (Sorbus commixta or checker trees), which presents beautiful spectacles in every season.
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Spring is the prime time of flowers of "Miyama-Kirishima" (Rhododendron obtusum Planch) for people to visit. The "Miyama-Kirishima" grows naturally in the surrounding area of "Ikeno-hara". It is also known as "Unzen Tsutsuji" (Unzen azalea), of which small pretty flowers start blooming from late April in the "Jigoku" (Hell) area and last to late May in the "Nitta-Touge" (Nitta-pass) area. The largest colony of the flowers can be viewed in mid May in "Houbaru-Enchi" (Houbara park), a short ascending from "Kojigoku"(Little Hell) of "Ikenohara-Enchi (Ikenohara park)" near Unzen Golf Course. "Shiro-doudan" (white azalea) that grows in the Jigoku area is so precious that it is designated as protected species.
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Unzen has been famous all through Japan since the Meiji Era as the summer resort and sanitarium with its relatively cool temperature in summer because of the altitude around 700 meters (2,333 feet) above sea level. Even at midsummer of August, the average temperature is around 21.7 C (71 F), which is almost the same temperature as in Sapporo City of Hokkaido. When strolling along "Shirakumo-no-Ike" (White clouds pond), in a serene forest, you can view Fugen-dake and Heisei-shinzan by the pond.
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Trees alive with the color in autumn are one of representative landscapes of Unzen that never fails to attract visiting tourists. From late October, the autumn tint starts to spread from a base of the mountains towards the top with a natural gradation of yellow to crimson-red. The whole area of Fugen-dake turns just like a sea of red and yellow. Among trees that turn red or yellow are a group of maple trees including "Kohauchiwa-kaede" (Acer sieboldianum Miq), "Urihada-kaede" (Acer rufinerve), "Itaya-kaede" (Acer pictum), and "Iroha-momiji" (Acer palmatum), all of which make a stunning contrast with evergreen leaves of "Yama-guruma" (Trochodendron aralioides).
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The landscape in winter when the trees are covered with fog deposits will entice you into a fantastic world. The fog deposits are the formation of ice coating branches of trees. They are developed when fog drifted by wintry winds contacts the branches and its moisture freezes at the temperature below zero. This natural phenomenon creates flowers of ice crystals, which are affectionately called "Hana-bouro" by local residents.
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