Hometown Nature Park Center

Mt. Murone

Mt. Murone is a mountain rich in nature and has been designated as a national recreation area and a prefectural natural park. Mt. Murone is home to a large number of wild azaleas, and it is said that there are tens of thousands of them, and in June, especially at the top of the mountain, a carpet of bright red azaleas blooms all at once. It is also an independent peak, offering a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and Mt. Iwate in the distance. It has plenty of leisure facilities such as an astronomical observatory and a campground, and is also famous as a sacred mountain with a history such as Murone Shrine.

Mt. Kurikoma

Kurikoma, also called Mt. Sugawa in Iwate Prefecture, is a 1,626-meter-high mountain in Kurikoma National Park. The Iwate side of the mountain is reached from the Sugawa Onsen trailhead, and the four seasons can be enjoyed from mid-May, when the mountain opens for the season, to June and July, when the mountain is covered with lovely alpine flora, and to the end of September, when the mountain is ablaze with autumn leaves, until the mountain closes in November. There are no difficult spots on the climbing course, and even middle-aged and elderly climbers can safely climb the mountain. It takes about 2 hours from the Sugawa Onsen trailhead to the top. *Mid-November to early May (National Route 342 is closed in winter) Kurikoma Sugawa Course" is not accessible from Showa Lake to the summit. Please use the San-numa Course to reach the summit. For details, click here ⇒ [ Iwate Prefecture Nature Conservation Division HP ] (as of April 26, 2024)

Kirara Muroneyama Observatory

Kirara Muroneyama Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the south side of the summit of Mt. Murone. Equipped with a 50cm diameter reflecting telescope called ``Canopus'' and a 15cm diameter refracting telescope, you can see the sun during the day and many stars and nebulae at night. In addition, planetary models and astronomical photographs are displayed in the training room, which attracts many astronomical enthusiasts and their families.