is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park covers .

Rather than being a specific spot, the park is a collection of dispersed tourist sites that dot the region. The farthest point south, the isle of Hachijō-jima, is several hundred kilometers from Mount Fuji. The park includes a variety of geographic features including natural hot springs, coastlines on the Pacific, mountainous areas, lakes, and more than 1,000 volcanic islands. Vegetation in the park ranges from species of mountainous trees to the subtropical vegetation of the Izu Islands.

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park was established on February 2, 1936, as Fuji-Hakone National Park, and is one of the first four national parks established in Japan. In 1950, the Izu islands were added to the park, a change that also reflected in the park's revised name. Due to its proximity to the Tokyo metropolis and ease of transportation, it is the most visited national park in all of Japan.

Nearby cities include Odawara, Fuji, Minami Ashigara, and Numazu.

Points of interest

<gallery perrow="2" style="float:right; margin-left:2em">

File:Fuji Five Lakes and Mount Fuji.jpg|Mount Fuji and Fuji Five Lakes

File:N2 Shiraito Falls 2.jpg|Shiraito Falls

File:Lake Ashi from Mt.Komagatake 03.jpg|Ashi-no-ko Lake

File:Mount Omuro (Izu Peninsula) 20100426 (B).jpg|Mount Ōmuro

File:Jōgasaki Coast 01.jpg|Jogasaki coast

File:Izu-Oshima-IMG 4759.jpg|Izu Ōshima

File:Playground at Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.jpg|A playground on park grounds

File:Underwater post box at the Izu Ocean Park.jpg|Underwater post box for divers

</gallery>

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park is divided into four general areas:

1. Mount Fuji area

  • Mount Fuji
  • Shiraito Falls
  • Fuji Five Lakes
  • Aokigahara
  • Lake Tanuki

2. Hakone area

  • Old Tokaido Road
  • Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands
  • Ashi-no-ko Lake (Lake Ashi)
  • Ōwakudani
  • Hakone Park

3. Izu Peninsula

  • Mount Amagi
  • Atami hot springs
  • Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden
  • Jogasaki coast

4. Izu Islands

  • Izu Ōshima
  • To-shima
  • Nii-jima
  • Shikine-jima
  • Kōzu-shima
  • Miyake-jima
  • Mikura-jima
  • Hachijō-jima

The Izu islands are also a popular destination for scuba diving.

See also

  • List of national parks of Japan

References

  • Southerland, Mary and Britton, Dorothy. The National Parks of Japan. Kodansha International (1995).

Further reading

  • Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park - National Parks of Japan
  • Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park - National Parks of Japan