The tourist flood occurs in midsummer when people come to escape the sweltering heat of the lowlands. The park area is studded with 23 magnificent volcanic peaks. There are gorges, waterfalls, pristine lakes, and high mountain trails. Kirishima is awash in pink azaleas called miyama kirishima that bloom from late March to mid-April. The hills are a solid forest of red pines interspersed with maples that turn scarlet in early November.
Winter brings a hoary coat of frost that turns the landscape to a tranquil silent white.
Deer, foxes, and badgers roam the deep hills. Manmade wonders complement the natural scene. There is Kirishima Jinja, one of the most revered shrines in Japan, whose original structure goes back over 1,400 years. Kirishima has it all, from high-rise hotels at Kirishima Hot Springs Resorts to primitive camping spots at Ebino Heights. Here, the country's splendid mountainous beauty and its cultural and religious soul are revealed.