Oita

<p>A ladybug clings to a flower in the Tadewara Wetlands</p>

A ladybug clings to a flower in the Tadewara Wetlands (Photo: Mandy Bartok)

Oita

Scenes from the Tadewara Wetlands

A walk through Kuju's unique natural setting

Mandy Bartok Jun 24, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>A ladybug clings to a flower in the Tadewara Wetlands</p>

<p>The boardwalk leads across the vast wetlands</p>

<p>These "shiraitosou" flowers grew near the streams that crisscrossed the wetlands</p>

<p>A purple thistle, right before it blooms</p>

<p>June is the perfect season to catch thistles blooming all over the wetland</p>

<p>You have to look carefully for these short yellow flowers</p>

<p>What looks to be bush clover was hidden away near the end of the boardwalk</p>

The Tadewara Wetlands, just at the edge of the Kuju Mountain Range, offer several short walking trails that crisscross the marshlands. You can blaze through them in a fraction of the recommended time, but it's worth slowing down to take a glimpse at what might be growing near your feet. In early June, the fields were not yet full of the wildflowers that would bloom a bit later, but we still managed to find some intriguing species. Guided walks leaving from the nearby visitor's center can help you identify even more of what's along the trail.

Mandy Bartok

Mandy Bartok @mandy.bartok

Japan resident for 10 years, with time spent in Okinawa, Kumamoto and Tokyo.