Ikenotaira Wetland

Cradled inside the ancient volcanic crater of Mt. Sanbōgamine at 2,000 meters, Ikenotaira Wetland supports over 100 flowering plant species in summer, along with forests of Japanese larch on the northern ridge and primeval northern Japanese hemlock on the southern slope. At the crater's center, millennia of rain and snowmelt have created a marshland of peat hummocks, black crowberry, and irises. Kagami Pond in the southwest reflects the surrounding peaks on clear days. Round-leaved sundew grows near the water's edge. Japanese serow, stoat, kites, and two species of rat snake that lay eggs in the peat also inhabit the area.