Photo/Illutration Climbers walk along the boardwalk set up in the Shosenen wetland in the Daisetsuzan mountain range in Hokkaido as they enjoy the views of alpine plants. (Daijiro Honda)

KAMIKAWA, Hokkaido--A famed but neglected trail leading to the Shosenen wetland on the side of Mount Nagayamadake reopened this summer after a 14-year hiatus.

The trail provides a panoramic view dotted with ponds against the backdrop of the Daisetsuzan mountain range. Climbers are greeted by tussock cottongrass, Aleutian avens, “tsugazakura” mountain heather and other alpine plants.

The circular route starts and ends at the Aizankei hot spring resort here. It is limited to those with a certain degree of hiking knowledge and skill and takes about five hours to complete, according to the National Parks of Japan website of the Environment Ministry.

To protect the vegetation, the one-way trail is open only from July 14 to Sept. 30.

It had been known as a place where visitors could enjoy the primeval beauty of nature. But the trail was closed in autumn 2006 because of a lack of proper management.

However, in response to growing requests from climbers to reopen the trail, the Environment Ministry started setting up a boardwalk and other facilities in fiscal 2018.

A couple from Sapporo in their 70s who visited Shosenen on July 21 said they had always wanted to walk on the trail and were mesmerized by the beauty of the scenery.

The couple also said they didn’t need to worry about people walking from the opposite direction, thanks to the one-way traffic flow.

The Shosenen trail is highly challenging. For details, visit the official website of the Daisetsuzan National Park Council at (http://www.daisetsuzan.or.jp/english/).

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