Daisen-Oki National Park

Daisen-Oki National Park spans three prefectures in western Honshu and covers terrain shaped by 26 million years of volcanic activity, erosion, and shifting sea levels. Mt. Daisen at 1,729 meters is the region's highest peak, with hiking trails passing through old-growth beech forests and ancient sacred groves. The offshore Oki Islands hold UNESCO Global Geopark status for their dramatic coastal rock formations, and their waters are home to the Oki salamander, found nowhere else. The park's clear streams shelter Japanese giant salamanders, one of the world's largest amphibians, reaching up to 1.5 meters in length.