Come feel the energy of the earth at Shōwa-shinzan, one of Japan's youngest and most incredible volcanoes. You can walk right up to the base of this reddish-brown lava dome, which famously rose from a flat wheat field in the 1940s, and see the sulfurous steam still venting from its rugged slopes. While you can't climb this living mountain, the views from the foothills are breathtaking and immediately accessible from the car park. For an even better perspective, hop on the nearby Usuzan Ropeway to see this geological marvel against the backdrop of Lake Toya.