Feel the power of nature in Black Desert
Ura Desert (Tokyo)
Izu Oshima is an island made up entirely of active volcanoes. Towering in the center of the island at 758 meters above sea level is Mount Mihara, which has been revered by the islanders as "Gojinkasama" (Gojinkasama). The area on the northeastern side, covered in black scoria (volcanic rock), is known as the Ura Desert, and is the only area in Japan marked as a "desert" on maps published by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.
The strong winds make it difficult for plants to take root, so the black landscape is maintained, and the desolate land looks like an unknown planet. It is only a 10-minute walk from the nearby parking lot, but you can also walk around the crater of the summit and enjoy a panoramic view of the Ura Desert.
800,000 Rhinoceros return to their nests where their chicks await
Teuri Island (Hokkaido)
Teuri Island, located in the Sea of Japan off the northwest coast of Hokkaido, is a small island with a circumference of just 12km and a population of just under 300 people, but for birds it is a "big city." Approximately one million seabirds of eight species use the island as a breeding ground.
The highlight is the return of approximately 400,000 pairs of Auklets, or 800,000 birds, to their nests, which can be seen for about three months starting in May each year. Normally living at sea, Auklets come to Teuri Island during the breeding season and dig holes into the cliffs on the west coast to make their nests. After sunset, the parent birds return en masse with large amounts of fish in their mouths to the nests where their chicks are waiting, a sight that is both impressive and palpable of affection.
© Haboro Town Tourism Association 
© Haboro Town Tourism Association
A once-in-a-lifetime, fantastical blue world
Niyodo River (Kochi)
The Shimanto River is famous when it comes to Kochi's clear streams, but the Niyodo River, which originates from Mount Ishizuchi, has been selected as the "river with the best water quality" eight times in the past ten years, as published annually by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The river, including its tributaries, is dotted with highly transparent spots, and its purity is described as "Niyodo Blue."
Among them, Nikobuchi, Yasui Valley, and Nakatsu Valley are particularly beautiful. Nikobuchi, pictured, is a waterfall basin tucked away in the mountains of Ino Town, and legend has it that a giant snake, believed to be the incarnation of the water god, lives there. It is said that the same blue color cannot be seen all year round, and the richness of its expressions has made it popular.
