Hacchokeikoku

Take the Kamose forest road, or cross the pass from Oshio in Yamaguni, and old-growth forest opens out across the whole Haccho area. Azalea and rhododendron bloom thickly in spring, and in summer the gorge is genuinely beautiful in its coolness. Add autumn colour and snow in winter, and the place has as full a range of seasonal character as anywhere.