Plants & Animals

Unzen-Amakusa National Park has a mix of deciduous broadleaf forests and evergreen broadleaf forests. Japanese silver grass and Japanese red pine grow near steamy Unzen Jigoku, while the peat moss wetlands of Gensei Marsh are dotted with Japanese irises. Mount Unzen is covered with vibrant pink Kyushu azaleas in May, and flowering dogwood in June.

The park draws a variety of migratory birds that include the blue-and-white flycatcher, narcissus flycatcher and little cuckoo. Subtropical fish such as the sapphire devil and blacksaddle goatfish frequent the coral reefs off the coast.

Plants

Shirodoudan

Shirodoudan (Enkianthus cernuus) is a deciduous shrub endemic to Japan. It blooms in late spring with white, bell-shaped flowers.

Shirodoudan is endemic to Japan

spider lily

The spider lily (Crinum asiaticum) is a perennial plant that grows in warm coastal areas. It can grow over one meter tall and puts forth big, fragrant, spider-like flowers in summer.

View from Mount Unzen

Animals

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin

The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) inhabits the coastal waters of India, East Asia and Australia. Although similar to the common bottlenose dolphin, this species is typically smaller and often has black belly markings. It stays in the waters between the Amakusa Islands and the Shimabara Peninsula.

Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin

Blue-and-White Flycatcher

The blue-and-white flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana) is a migratory songbird found in Japan between late spring and early autumn. Males are electric blue with a white breast, while the females are grayish-brown. Look for them near the peak of Mount Unzen.

A blue-and-white flycatcher

Unzen-Amakusa National Park