Plants & Animals

The diverse landscapes of Yoshino-Kumano National Park feature various types of trees and other plant life. Spruce reaches its southernmost limits in Japan at the Omine mountain range, while the Odaigahara Plateau has an expansive forest of Japanese beech. You'll also spot flora such as bat's wing ferns, beach morning glories and blue morning glories.

Endemic creatures such as the Japanese macaque, Japanese squirrel and Japanese weasel inhabit the park's forests, while the coasts attract birds like the grey heron, Pacific reef heron and Pacific swift. A vast host of tropical fish swim among the coral reefs near Cape Shionomisaki and the island of Nigishima.

Plants

Hamaomoto

Hamaomoto (Crinum asiaticum L. var. japonicum) is a subspecies of the spider lily. Its seeds float on the water and are distributed by sea currents. This white lily blooms in summer, and appears along the coastlines of the Kumano region.

Hamaomoto (Crinum asiaticum L. var. japonicum)

Shii-no-Tomoshibi-Take

Shii-no-tomoshibi-take (Mycena lux-coeli) is a bioluminescent green mushroom whose name means "heavenly light mushrooms." Many live in the southeastern part of the Kii Peninsula in summer, often growing on the decayed trunks of the sudajii tree (Castanopsis sieboldii).

Shii-no-tomoshibi-take (Mycena lux-coeli)

Animals

Loggerhead Turtle

The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is found around the world. It has strong jaws and feeds primarily on shellfish. Many loggerhead turtles lay eggs on the beach of Senrinohama between late May and early August.

Shichiri-mihama Beach

Osenchikogane

Osenchikogane (G. auratus auratus Motschulsky) is a species of earth-boring dung beetle. It comes in various colors, such as green, reddish-brown or magenta, and has a metallic luster.

Osenchikogane is a kind of dung-beetle

Yoshino-Kumano National Park