Photo/Illutration A staff member of the Oze Preservation Foundation traverses the Yamanohana botanical research garden in Oze National Park, carrying photographing equipment for Google Street View. (Provided by the Oze Preservation Foundation)

Not everybody is able to visit Oze National Park straddling Gunma, Fukushima, Niigata and Tochigi prefectures, but now the magnificent landscape of two popular destinations there is available on Google Street View.

The service allows viewers to take in the sights as if they were actually on site. They can also take a virtual stroll on a wooden causeway by switching images on the website.

“We wanted people who for whatever reason are unable to visit Oze to enjoy the beautiful scenery,” said a representative of the Oze Preservation Foundation, adding that images also prove helpful in checking the condition of the boardwalks at the park site as well.

According to the foundation, the images were shot over a two-week period from late August last year. Staff members traversed the area with photographing equipment known as the Street View Trekker.

They were particularly proud of the footage in the Ozegahara plateau area with its views around the Shimonoohorikawa river and blossoming Asian skunk cabbages that combine to create beautiful scenes with Mount Shibutsusan in the background in spring.

Other footage includes the Ryugu zone, the Yoppi suspension bridge and the Yamanohana botanical research garden.

Images around Lake Ozenuma, the Oe marsh, where daylilies bloom in summer, and the northern coast of the lake that is home to a maries fir forest, were added.

The footage from the two spots were made available in November. To check the images, users need to search for Oze National Park on Google Map and drag the yellow human-shaped icon onto the displayed map.