Stories of the Land, Nature, and People Connected Welcome to Bandai-san Geopark by Bandai-san Geopark Mt.Bandai Mt.Kushigamine People People The Growth and Collapse of Mt. Bandai Nature Mt. Bandai Which Shows Inside the Volcano Nature Land Land The Hidden Past Behind its Ko-bandai’s Collapse and Formation of Lakes and Ponds Graceful Shape, the Mt. Fuji of Aizu The peak of Ko-bandai [Little Bandai] erupted due to a phreatic explosion Mt. Bandai is a volcano formed of andesite Mt. Bandai （Ōbandai） Mt.Akahani that caused the body of the mountain to collapse (debris avalanche) and magma. As this kind of magma has moder- Mt.Kushigamine flow down the valley. ate stickiness, the volcano’s eruption 477 people lost their lives and this was the biggest volcano disaster after becomes explosive and expels lava. This the Meiji Restoration. In the north side of Mt. Bandai (Urabandai type of eruption can include the releasing View of Bandai Volcano Highland), the debris avalanche dammed rivers and formed lakes, of volcanic ash. Because of these features, including Lake Hibara the volcano becomes a beautiful stratovol- Mt.Bandai 1816m Ko-bandai Mt. Bandai Mt. Kushi-ga-mine Mt. Bandai （Ō-bandai） cano as it grows. Mt. Kushi-ga-mine However, an eruption which occurred Flow Mounds about fifty thousand years ago led the Lake Inawashiro southwest part of Mt. Bandai to collapse Okinashima (flow mounds) Lake Hibara and cause a debris avalanche which Topography of Flow Mounds Mt.Bandai from the north before the Eruption Modern-day Mt.Bandai and Lake Hibara formed flow mounds at its foot. This debris The Collapsed Wall avalanche also dammed up rivers which (Explosion crater) The collapsed wall (Explosion crater) flowed into the Aizu basin in the west, and created Lake Inawashiro. The only island, Okinashima, in Lake Inawashiro is also one 山体崩壊と流れ山 Flow Mounds of those flow mounds. Flow Mounds Before the Eruption Topography of Mt. Bandai before and after the eruption After the Eruption People People Lake Hibara Nature and Water Environment of Lake Inawashiro Nature Nature Recovering from Wasteland Nature Land Land The Fascination of Lake Inawashiro, the Mirror Reflecting Heaven Various Ecosystem Succeeded Since 1888 ❶The largest blooms of the The 1888 (Meiji 21) eruption of Mt. Inawashiro Town, Bandai Town, and Kitashiobara Village Asaza Lily left in Japan Bandai made most parts of the old Asaza [fringed water-lily] is an aquatic plant and rich forests into a wasteland at which used to be seen in plenty of lakes and once. You can meet the ecosystem marshes, but is now designated as an endan- Asaza Lilly and Mt.Bandai at various levels of its changing into gered species in Japan. stable forests. This process took over Asaza is said to have the effect of purifying a hundred years in Urabandai. water, prevention of erosion, and fish preser- Mt.Bandai on after a week the Eruption vation. The scenery it creates is enjoyed as a key attraction of Lake Inawashiro. Marsh Swans and Lake Inawashiro The waterside Moist forest ❷Swans and their visiting places on Lake Inawashiro Stories of the Land, Nature, and People Connected (a National Natural Treasure) Every year more than 2,000 swans visit the northern coast Young forest Stable forest Farmland of Lake Inawashiro, and spend the winter from early October to early April. Inawashiro Town set up“Conservation Society for Nature of Lake Inawashiro” in 2000（Heisei 12） and has worked on the conservation of the environment. by Bandai-san Geopark People People Continuing Belief at the Foot of Mt. Bandai Nature Living with the Volcano Nature Land Land An Anchor for One’s Spirit Proof of the Recovery from the Volcano Disaster Mt.Bandai Mt. Bandai used to be called‘Mt. Iwa-hashi’ Judging from the illustration of the because it was as if a ladder [梯子: hashi-go] mountain drawn right after the 1888 of rock [磐: Iwa] extends to heaven. A local (Meiji 21) eruption, people must have not Mt.Akahani deity, Bandai My jin is enshrined at the Mt.Kushigamine ō expected that vegetation would recover summit of the mountain, and you can visit the Immediately following the Eruption in a short period on the Urabandai High- Iwahashi Shrine at the foot of the mountain. Bandai Myōjin Iwahashi Shrine land. However, with the help of a policy of In the Hanitsu Shrine, Hoshina Masayuki, the the government at that time, many people First Aizu Lord, is apotheosized as a guardian started a reforestation project for this god of Aizu. The ruin of Enichi-ji Temple, Enichi-ji devastated area. Endō Jūjirō (Genmu) is Temple founded by a priest‘Tokuitsu’,is the one who succeeded in reforestation, Buddhist temple built at the foot of Mt. Bandai, among those who tried. He planted over Planting for around Goshikinuma can be seen in the east.It is said the temple was Hoshina Masayuki’s Grave Hanitsu Inner Shrine one hundred-thousand trees including founded in 807, and it was abandoned in the Japanese red pines in the devastated land. early years of the Meiji period (1868). Forests in Urabandai show both the recov- The establishment of these shrines and ering power of nature and the history of historic spots are deeply related to locations of our predecessors who worked hard for Mt. Bandai. The existence of mountains of this recovery. belief have been an anchor for our spirits. The reconstruction of ‘Yakushi-Nyorai-Zazō’ Endō Genmu Japanese red pines Lake Inawashiro Debris Avalanche, Flow Mounds, Lakes and Ponds: A Mountain of Treasures, Forever and Ever Welcome to Bandai-san Geopark Inawashiro Town, Bandai Town, and Kitashiobara Village Nishi-Azuma Sky-Vally Hibara Historical Museum To Fukushima Wasezawa Mt.Douba 899.0m Gran-Deko Snow Resort 17 Ōyamazumi Lake Sohara Onogawa Fudotaki Fall Shrine B Mt.Kimen Band aii A 1481.9m To Fukushima Old Yonezawa Kaido Road Urabandai Site Station zu ine ma Tsuchiyu Pass e Li Nakatsugawa Sk ak Nakatsugawa ky L Lake Hibara a L iine Yokomuki-Onsen Rengenuma Pond ii Azum a Vally -822m- nda Ski Area Ba Mt.Minowa Lake Onogawa 1728.0m Nakasenuma Pond Fukushima Bandaisan Goshikinuma Lakes Oguninuma Nakasenuma Pond -797m- Mt.Bandai Urabandai Mt.Tetsuzan 1709.3m 1 Museum 2 Enichi-ji Museum 3 and Ponds 4 Pond 5 Mt.Bandai Urabandai Tourist Association 5NakatsugawaEruption Vally Museum 6 Visitor Center Minowa Ski Area Michi-no-eki Eruption Museum Rest house Ōshio Michi-no-eki Mt.Adatara Urabandai Mt.shirabu Numanotaira Lake Akimoto 1221.0m Takamori 1699.9m -736m - KITASHIOBARA 3 Takamorigawa River Mt.Oguni Oshizawagawa River 1271.3m Goshikinuma Lakes 6 Urabandai Visitor Center Shiraito-no-taki Fall Kitashiobara Viillage office and Ponds KITAKATA Kitashiobara Viillage office Bisyamonnuma Pond Urabandai Nekoma Urabandai 4 Oguninuma Pond Ski Area Mt.Maruyama Ski Area -1089m - 1359.0m Numajiri Ski Area Kitakata City office Mt.Nekomagadake Mt.Kushigamine 1403.8m Mt.Kushigamine 1403.8m 1636.0m Neko-ishi Nekoma-happodai Monument for Spirit of Martyrs Kitakata St. 16 Akanuma 11 Mt.Bandai 1816 . 3 m Ponds Numanotaira Sukawa River Bonari Pass Maboroshi-no-taki Fall Aizu-toyokawa St. Akimoto Boshin War Power Station Bonari-toge Old Battlefield Mt.Kojogamine Mt.Umaya Mt.Akahani Martyrs Cnotaph 1430.0m 12 87.9 m 1261.0m Tobitaki Fall 1430.0m e n iin L L Nametaki Fall lld Family Snow Park Tatsusawa Fudotaki Fall o G Bandai×2 ii Odagawa River Ubado St. a d Flow Mounds View point n a ..B t M Neko-ishi Hanitsu Shrine Numanokura ALTS Bandai Ski Area 15 Hanitsu Shrine Power Station 13 Ryugasawa Spring Water InawashiroInawashiro ResortResort SkiSki AreaArea 10 Tenkyo-dai InawashiroInawashiro SkiSki AreaArea （Syowa-no-mori） Iwahashi Mt.Ōtaki 1370.0m Mt.Hayama Shrine 14Mine-no-Ōishi Breadcrust Bombs Shiokawa St. Mt.kawageta 12 Ruin of Enichi-ji Temple Hideyo Noguchi1413.2m Aizu 7 Memorial Holl 8 Folk Museum 2 Bandaisan Enichi-ji Museum Ōshika-Zakura Aqua Marine Inawashiro Art Museum of Hajimari Kannonjigawa River Oikawa St. BANDAI Kawasemi Aquareum Kannonjigawa River JJ Kamegajo Castle Remains R What is a Geopark? R Sanchūhi Michi-no-eki Bandai BB Higashinagahara St. Monument aa Inawashir Midori-no-Mura Inawashiro Town office A geopark is called “a park of the land” n o-Shiokawa Line n Hira-ishi ee Listel ski Fantagia tt ss where you can enjoy and learn world-wide uu Okinashima St. INAWASHIRO -- Okinashima St. Nagasegawa River ss JR Ban-etsu-West Line aa valuable geographical features and about i Bandai-machi iss Bandai Town office ee St. Inawashiro Tourist Association nn Kagami-ishi Bandai Kawahigashi IC the nature of the soil, the history, and culture LL i Ban-etsu Expressway inn Iwahashi-kan ee Debris Abalanche Outcrop Iwahashi-kan Inawashiro St. of animals, plants, and people living on the Dojima St. Inawashiro Harb Garden Aizu-mura Michi-no-eki Inawashiro Bandai Kogen IC land. Moreover, from it we can learn its con- Inawashiro Hirota St. Mt.Takamori World Glass Hall Kawageta St. nections to and stories about local special- 598.5m Kannonji Temple Mt.Mizunashi ties and places like hot springs. etc.. Bandaisan SA Minamigaoka Daily Mt.Mizunashi Bandaisan SA 999m Nishikubo Cycling Road（About 3.6km） Kanizawa Kanizawa Hakucyogahama Nippashigawa River Beach History, Culture, Stories of the Land, Nature, 8 Aizu Folk Museum & Industry People and People Connected Tenjinhama Jyūrokkyo 9 Tenk yokaku 7 Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Hall Beach Kobirakata by Bandai-san Geopark Bridge Animals & Plants Nagahama Sekito St. Nature Kohan-no-Mori Plesure Boat Port Aizuwakamatsu IC Geology & Monument of Tonokuchihara topography Land Old Battlefield Mt.Nagura Kobirakata Tenmangu Shrine, 644.8m Fukushima Onbasama Geihinkan Historic sites of Inawashiro Kensai Akai Marsh Land Takizawa Pass Koishigahama Okinashima Beach Inawashiro-shidahamaInawashiro-shidahama SpaSpa Nakayamajuku St.