Amagaike

Amagaike sits at 1,400 meters in the volcanic highlands of Bogatsuru, on the hiking route between Chojabaru and the wetlands. A former crater hollow fills with pure rainwater each year, forming a seasonal pond that appears and disappears depending on rainfall. The name means 'rain pond' or 'sky pond' in Japanese, and the area receives around 2,500 millimeters of rain annually. A wooden walkway leads through the surrounding vegetation, past rare wetland plants that attract butterflies and other wildlife. After heavy rain or a typhoon, the pond usually fills for several weeks before gradually vanishing again.