Numappara Marshland Scenic Drive and Walk

Walk through a flowering marshland and drive through a refreshing forest

Numappara Marshland is located 1,230 meters up on the western edge of the Nasu mountain range. The boardwalk trail that circles the area allows you to enjoy marshland nature and seasonal vegetation, such as broad dwarf daylilies in early summer and colorful marsh grasses in the fall. The drive to Numappara Marshland takes you west on a pleasant woodland road running parallel to the Nasu mountain range beneath a canopy of Erman's birch trees.

Note that the route to the parking lot is closed during the winter months from early December to late April.

Highlights

Numappara Marshland in early summer

Enjoy the seasonal plants of the marshland

Numappara Marshland is full of the colors of the seasons. Japanese alpine cherry (Prunus nipponica) blossoms and the charming blue flowers of the perennial lowland plant Gentiana thunbergii bloom in May. Broad dwarf daylilies are another draw, at their best from mid-June to early July. The trees on the surrounding hillsides change colors in fall.

Numappara Reservoir

Numappara Reservoir, as seen from the numappara parking lot

The Numappara Reservoir is on the south side of Numappara Marshland, and stores water for hydroelectricity generation. The reservoir was constructed in 1969 and was the first pumped-storage hydroelectricity facility in the world with a height of over 500 meters. The trail to Numappara Marshland begins at the parking lot by the reservoir’s picnic area.

A stone Buddha near Numappara Marshland

The path of prayers

The path that runs north from Numappara Marshland is part of Aizu Naka Kaido Road, which once connected the Aizu region to Edo (present-day Tokyo) during the early Edo period (1603–1867). Buddhist monks used the road on their way to worship the source of a natural spring on the western slope of Mount Nasu. A reminder of this ancient tradition remains in the form of a stone Buddha that stands along the path.

Route Map

Numappara Marshland Scenic Drive and Walk

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