Oze National Park — High-Altitude Wetland Hiking

Oze National Park sits at 1,400-1,600 meters elevation on the Gunma-Fukushima-Niigata border, a high wetland plateau where boardwalks cross marshes that stretch 6 kilometers between mountain ridges. The Ozegahara Marsh is Japan's largest highland wetland — a flat expanse of grass and shallow ponds where wildflowers bloom in waves from May through August. No roads penetrate the park, no cars, no buildings beyond mountain huts. Wooden boardwalks keep hikers off the fragile ground, threading through the marsh in long straight lines that vanish into the distance.

The park's signature flower is mizubasho (Asian skunk cabbage), white petals rising from ankle-deep water in late May and early June. When thousands bloom simultaneously the marsh turns white and green, backed by snowy peaks that still hold winter's snow. The image is famous in Japan — postcard-perfect, the kind of scene that makes people book buses months in advance. Getting here requires commitment: 3-hour bus rides from Tokyo, then another bus to the trailhead, then hiking 90 minutes to reach the marsh. Most people stay overnight in mountain huts (¥9,000 with meals), because day-tripping means 14 hours of travel for 4 hours on the trail.