Miike Wild Birds' Forest Trail

Walk through a dense forest that many wild birds call home

This course takes you along the paths of the Miike Wild Birds' Forest, one of Japan's four national wild bird forests. The Miike Wild Birds' Forest sits at the foot of Mount Takachiho-no-Mine and covers 115 hectares. The densely packed broadleaf trees and the still waters of Miike Crater Lake provide an ideal habitat for wild birds. Visitors can observe many different birds from both the forest paths and the birdwatching cabin, and some of Japan's largest trees can be found in this forest.

The calm surface of Miike Crater Lake reflects the surrounding scenery, and the lake is a popular spot for fishing and water sports.

Highlights

The birdwatching cabin at Miike

A great place to discover the wild birds of Miike

This cabin is situated near a place where many birds come to drink. This makes it easy to observe many of the 151 different types of birds recorded being seen here. One of these is the ruddy kingfisher—a bird with vivid orange and brown plumage and a surprisingly large beak.

Giant evergreen laurel trees

A forest filled with a diversity of trees

This diverse forest is home to countless trees over a hundred years old, including different types of evergreen laurels such as red-bark oak. In fall, deciduous broadleaf trees like the Japanese big leaf magnolia provide colorful displays when their leaves turn. On the forest path you can see an ichiigashi tree (Quercus gilva) that is over 160 years old, 38 meters high and nearly 130 centimeters wide. The name of this tree translates as "First Place Oak," so named because it is one of the biggest trees in the forest.

The peak of Mount Takachiho-no-Mine and Miike Crater Lake

Oji Port

The port of Oji takes its name from a legend. It is said that Emperor Jimmu, Japan's first emperor, once played at the edge of the lake as a child, when he was still a prince (oji). The crater lake is over 1.3 kilometers wide, while its depth of 103 meters makes it the deepest in the Kirishima mountain range. Off in the distance, you can catch a glimpse of towering Mount Takachiho-no-Mine (1,574 m). The lake's placid waters are a great place for boating, either in a rented boat or kayak, and many people come here to fish for carp and rainbow trout as well.

Trail Map

Miike Wild Bird's Forest Trail

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