Three types of fireflies beautifully fly about
This place is a first-rate firefly habitat even in Japan and has even been selected for inclusion in the Ministry of the Environment's Top 100 Villages of Living Things in a Hometown.
Three types of fireflies live along Bitchu River: the Genji firefly, the Heike firefly, and the Hime firefly. Thus, you can enjoy a beautiful night scene.
You can see fireflies on the firefly viewing route, which is about a 30-minute round-trip walk from the Hokubo Promotion Bureau in Maniwa, heading upstream along Bitchu River, to Hokubo Firefly Park, and back.
Also, given that the month-long firefly viewing period is early to mid-June, various events are held on Saturdays and Sundays.
◎ Genji firefly
You can see them at Bitchu River between the end of May and the middle of June.
◎ Heike firefly
You can see them between early and mid-June at a stream behind the Satoyama and Satoumi Exchange Center Shinpio in Hokubo Firefly Park.
◎ Hime firefly
You can see them between mid-June and early July around the entrance to Suwa Hole, near Hokubo Firefly Park.
