National Parks Of Japan
Hiking
Distance
2.5 km
Time
0 h45min
Start
Chojabaru Visitor Center
Finish
Chojabaru Visitor Center

Tadewara Marsh Walking Trail

Admire Kuju's scenery and learn about the Tadewara Marsh

This walk starts and ends at the Chojabaru Visitor Center. Stop by the visitor center before or after your walk to learn all about the Tadewara Marsh, which spreads across Chojabaru and to the surrounding forests. The visitor center provides up-to-date information on the types of plants and animals you may see during your visit.

Wooden boardwalks start from the visitor center and lead through the marsh. Some sections are wheelchair accessible. Other sections of the path are forested, taking visitors through sun-dappled groves of Japanese oak, Japanese beech and other broad-leaved trees. One area is covered in sphagnum moss, a type of moss that stores large amounts of water, commonly found in wetlands such as the Tadewara Marsh.

Highlights

Informative displays inside the building

Chojabaru Visitor Center

Stop by the Chojabaru Visitor Center to learn about the Tadewara Marsh, registered under the Ramsar Convention of Wetlands. The convention gives the marsh special protected status. A range of videos and displays provide information about the natural history of Kuju and the seasonal changes the marsh undergoes. Visitors can take in views of the Tadewara Marsh and the mountains of Kuju from the observation room on the second floor, while the first floor connects directly to the Tadewara Marsh walking course.

Controlled burning and violas

See bright yellow violas blooming in a fire-blackened marsh

The grasslands of the marsh are set on fire every year in March and April to burn off dead flowers and vegetation and to prevent tree growth. When the controlled burn dies down, the surface of the marsh turns black. Shortly after, plants and flowers start to sprout and the marsh's appearance changes daily. Violas are the most striking of these plants since their yellow blooms contrast strongly with the blackened ground.

Boardwalk in Tadewara Marsh and a flowering globe thistle

Thistles bloom in the summer grasslands

Many flowers bloom across the grasslands during August and September. The most unusual of these is the globe thistle (Echinops setifer). This plant originated on the Asian continent, which was connected to Japan by a land bridge during the ice age. The flowers look like blue balls, and they are easily visible above the grasses thanks to their long stalks. However, a closer look reveals that the balls are actually many tiny flowers.

Trail Map

Tadewara Marsh Walking Trail

Click to Expand Map