Ebino Kogen

Little knownBarely documented in English. This is the kind of place the site exists for.

Researched and written by Hinato

Ebino KogenKirishimaKarakunidakecrater lakesvolcanic plateau

Miyazaki · Ebino

31.9834°N, 130.8467°E

Getting the most out of Ebino Kogen is less about the destination than about timing the light right.

Ebino Kogen is a plateau at around 1,200 metres in the Kirishima volcanic range, and it is the base for the climb up Karakunidake, the highest peak in Kirishima at 1,700 metres, and for the pond circuit past Byakushi-ike, Rokkannon-miike and Fudo-ike — three crater lakes of quite different colours within a short walk of each other.

The sulphur vents of Iwo-yama are beside the road, and the plateau is grassland that turns rust-red in autumn, which is where the name comes from. Volcanic activity has closed sections repeatedly: the pond circuit currently cannot be completed because the stretch between Fudo-ike and the eco museum centre is shut. Parking is ¥500 for a car and the access road is subject to chain restrictions in winter.

What to know before you go

Access hours

Open access | Eco museum centre keeps its own hours

Closed: Sections closed for volcanic activity — confirm before travelling | Chain restrictions in winter

When to go

May–June for Kirishima azaleas | October–November for the grassland and autumn colour

Fee

Free | Parking ¥500 per car, ¥200 motorcycle, ¥1,000 microbus, ¥2,000 large vehicle

Time to allow

2–3 hours | Half a day with Karakunidake

Making the trip

Getting there in detail

Suenaga, Ebino, on the Kirishima range at around 1,200 m, on the boundary with Kagoshima. Car recommended. Parking at the Ebino Eco Museum Center costs ¥500 for a car, ¥200 for a motorcycle, ¥1,000 for a microbus and ¥2,000 for a large vehicle. The plateau is the trailhead for Karakunidake, 1,700 m, and for the pond nature trail past Byakushi-ike, Rokkannon-miike and Fudo-ike. The circuit cannot currently be walked in full because the section between Fudo-ike and the eco museum centre is closed. Volcanic alert levels and closures change — check with the eco museum centre before setting out. Chain restrictions apply on the access road in winter.

What to bring

**Check the volcanic status before you go.** Kirishima is active, sections close at short notice, and the pond circuit is currently broken between Fudo-ike and the centre. **Start at the eco museum centre.** It holds the current closure information, which is the single most useful thing on the plateau. **Karakunidake takes about three hours return.** From the plateau to 1,700 metres and back, on a well-used but exposed route. Weather on the ridge changes fast. **The three ponds are different colours.** Within a short walk of each other, and the contrast is the reason to do the trail rather than only the summit. **Winter needs chains.** The access road at 1,200 metres in southern Kyushu still gets ice and snow, and restrictions are enforced.

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