Oze National Park

Introduction to Oze


Oze National Park (尾瀬国立公園   Oze Kokuritsu Kōen) is a stretch of land that covers parts of Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma, and Niigata prefectures. Opened on August 30, 2007, the park includes marches and mountains in the Oze area, formerly a part of the Nikko National Park and other nearby areas including the Aizu-Komagatake and Tashiroyama mountains. It was the first new national park to open in 20 years, since the designation of Hokkaido's Kushiro wetlands as a national park in 1987.

Oze usually opens around mid-May and stays open until late October.

Sightseeing Seasons
There are several seasons that Oze undergoes which highlight different facets of its natural beauty. Be sure to check them out during the year.

Akashibo Season or "The Red Snow Phenomenon"
In May the surface of the snow turns a reddish color as it thaws. This mysterious phenomenon can only be seen for a brief period of time before the snow completely disappears.

Skunk Cabbage Season (They're much prettier than their name implies!)
As the last of the snow melts away in late May and early June, skunk cabbage season begins in Oze. The blooming skunk cabbages, a white flower found in marshlands and other wet areas, signal the start of Oze's open season.

Cotton Season
The flower buds of cotton sedges begin appearing in June, and bloom from early to mid-July when the marshes become filled with white fluff from these plants.

Daylily Season
Mid-July is the height of floral season in Oze when the marshes become blanketed with sunny yellow daylilys. This is also the peak visiting season for Oze National Park.

Kusamomiji Sease or "The Changing Colors of the Marsh Grass"
In September the marsh grass tips become tinged with orange. When the sun shines down on the marshes, the entire area shines like gold.

Hiraname no Taki Falls
This is a waterfall of the Tadami River which flows between Niigata and Fukushima Prefectures. The water can be viewed cascading down a series of large rocks and is quite scenic.

Sanjo no Taki Falls
This is a huge waterfall downstream from the Hiraname no Taki Falls and can be seen from a viewing platform just off of the trail. All the rainfall in Oze passes through the falls, and the roar of the water is so deafening that it leaves a lasting impression of Oze. In the thawing season, the sound of the water is so loud that people nearby can't hear each other speak.

Mt. Hiuchigatake and Lake Ozenuma
Mt. Hiuchigatake is one of Oze's best-known mountains. It has five peaks formed by a series of eruptions, and three of those peaks look out over Lake Ozenuma and the Ozegahara Marsh. Lake Ozenuma was formed at the foot of Mt. Hiuchigatake when an eruption of the mountain blocked the flow of the Nushiri River.

Getting to Oze
Oze has two main entrance points, one from Gunma, in the South, and from the north of the park in Fukushima. The two trailheads from Fukushima are the Numayamatoge and Miike trailheads. The Numayamatoge trailhead is convient for accessing  Ozenuma Lake (~1 hour walk). The Miike trailhead is convenient for accessing the Ozegahara marshes (~2 hour walk). A bus from Aizu-Tajima station serves as access to the trailheads. There are 4 buses a day. The trip takes around 2.5 hours. Please find the bus timetable to Oze National Park here.

Links
National Parks of Japan- Oze English Website

Oze Preservation Foundation

Aizu-Tajima<->Oze National Park Bus Schedule