Walk through dramatic fields of lava under the shadow of Mount Iwate
This one-kilometer trail starts near the Yakehashiri-no-Yu hot spring, around the expansive, barren fields of andesite (hardened lava) on Mount Iwate's northeastern slope. An eruption of Mount Iwate 300 years ago effected this area, and it appears that nothing grows on these slopes. However, when you look closer, mosses, lichens and even Japanese Red Pine can be found. The site is designated a Special Protection Zone.
