Daiseki Rinzan

Daiseki Rinzan is a trekking spot with sharp rocky peaks and subtropical forests located in Yanbaru National Park in the northern part of Okinawa’s main island.

This tourist facility is a whopping 11 times the size of the Tokyo Dome and is famous as a filming location often used in dramas, movies, and commercials.

The site also includes the Okinawa Stone Culture Museum, restaurants, stores, and a parlor.

This mountain is a karst formation that was formed 250 million years ago, and its many oddly-shaped rocks with pointed ends are reminiscent of the stone forests of China. It is considered the northernmost tropical karst in the world.

From the observatory, you can see Cape Hendo and, on fine days, Yoron Island, Okinoerabu Island, and other islands of the Amami Archipelago.

Also nearby are Cape Hendo, Kayauchi Banta, the Tomb of King Yihon, Hendo Cai Ong Pine Trees, and the Yanbaruquina Observatory.

The mountains of Asimui have long been passed down as sacred places. The mountains look steep and eerie when viewed from Cape Hendo, but when you actually walk along the walking trails, you will find yourself in a paradise surrounded by subtropical nature.

Daiseki Rinzan has four walking trails with various faces, including oddly shaped rocks and boulders, subtropical forests, and panoramic views that can be enjoyed by all members of the family, from children to the elderly.

The Yanbaru area is home to many very cute creatures.

For example, there are many endemic species, such as the Yanbaru rail, the Noguchi woodpecker, the Kenagukeru rat, the Okinawa spiny rat, the Okinawa rice-bellied toad, and the Yanbaru long-armed scarab beetle.

There are many cloud forests growing in some of the higher areas in this region, and ferns and orchid plants grow there.

And from the upper to middle reaches of the river, there are many plants characteristic of the tropics and subtropics. In addition, the Yanbaru area has its own amphibian spawning and habitat!

The forests are covered with broadleaf trees such as sudajii and Okinawa white oak. As these trees grow, they create cavities in their trunks, which over the years become tree cavities.

Cute animals such as the Japanese pygmy woodpecker, the Japanese pygmy gerbil, and the Yanbaru long-armed scarab beetle live in these tree cavities.