From the tops of the mountain to the bottoms of the valleys, Ashio is blessed with an abundance of nature. Thus it is said to be a treasure house of valuable plants.
"The Koshin-so" flower is a specially protected species. Its name comes from being found by Mr.Miyoshi, a doctor of science in Mt.Koshin in 1891. It is a very rare plant in the world. The color is light purple, and the height is about 6 cm.
A lot of animals and birds live in the mountains surrounding Ashio. The Japanese antelope is registered as a specially protected species.
They are categorized in the cattle family and live in Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, in areas with coniferous trees and steep rocky mountains.
Recently, they have been driven into the heart of the mountains because of the increase of deer.
