[Hakkoda Mountains Sightseeing Guide] Experience Overwhelmingly Rich Nature with All Five Senses

When the autumn leaves in the Hakkoda Mountains reach their peak, you can see a spectacular view of the mountains turning crimson and gold.
Although the best time varies depending on the location, the area near the summit usually starts changing color around late September.
The overall best season is likely from early October to late October.
The sight of the mountains covered in countless autumn leaves in crimson and gold is truly breathtaking.
The colors also vary in tone, and because the Hakkoda Mountains are so vast, the gradation looks even more beautiful.
The autumn leaves seen from the Hakkoda Ropeway are especially stunning and can only be described as spectacular.
Take in the panoramic view of a carpet of fall colors spreading out below you.

In winter, the Hakkoda Mountains are blanketed with heavy snow.
The scenery, wrapped in a world of silver and white, is so beautiful that you may forget the winter cold.
Among the winter sights you should not miss in the Hakkoda Mountains are the snow monsters.
Broadly speaking, snow monsters are ice formations created when cooled water vapor and supercooled water droplets adhere to trees and other surfaces.
Snow monsters are considered a rare phenomenon even on a global scale, and it is said that outside Japan they can only be seen in Germany.
In particular, it is no exaggeration to say that the kind of snow monsters seen in the Hakkoda Mountains can only be found in Japan.
The landscape is fantastical and mysterious, with an eerie atmosphere as well.
The best time to see them is around January to February.

The Hakkoda Mountains are home to Hakkoda Ski Area, where you can fully enjoy classic winter activities such as skiing and snowboarding.
One of the biggest draws of Hakkoda Ski Area is that it makes the most of the great natural setting of the Hakkoda Mountains.
Gliding while taking in the magnificent snowy scenery is an exhilarating experience.
Another major highlight is the snow monsters.
They are a signature winter sight of the Hakkoda Mountains, and you can also see them inside the ski area.
Skiing as if weaving your way through the snow monsters is an experience you can only have at Hakkoda Ski Area.
If you have the chance, be sure to try it.

Located on Tamoyachidake, one of the peaks in the Hakkoda mountain range, the Hakkoda Ropeway connects the mountain base station and the summit park station at an elevation of 1,314 meters in about 10 minutes.
It is popular not only with tourists seeking the magnificent seasonal scenery created by the natural beauty of the Hakkoda mountain range, but also with summer trekkers and winter skiers.
Operating year-round, it offers a variety of landscapes, including fresh greenery in mid-May, autumn leaves from late September to mid-October, and snow monsters from January to late February.
Autumn is an especially popular season, as both the gondola and the summit offer superb views of the foliage, and around 100,000 people ride the ropeway every October.

A historic hot spring area that opened around 340 years ago.
It is said to have been named Shika-no-Yu, or “Deer Hot Spring,” based on a legend that an injured deer healed its wounds in the hot spring, and that this eventually became Sukayu Onsen through a change in pronunciation.
When it comes to Sukayu Onsen, the famous attraction is the large public bath “Hiba Sennin Buro,” made entirely of hiba wood.
Built with hiba wood from Aomori, this huge bathhouse measures 160 tatami mats in size and consists of five bath areas: Atsu-no-Yu, Hie-no-Yu, Shiburoku-no-Yu, Yutaki, and one more.
This bathhouse is also one of the few places where the now-rare culture of mixed-gender bathing still remains.

With a history of more than 400 years, Yachi Onsen in Aomori Prefecture is counted among Japan’s three great hidden hot springs, along with Iyakei Onsen in Tokushima Prefecture and Niseko Onsen in Hokkaido.
This hot spring inn retains the atmosphere of a traditional therapeutic bath retreat and stands at the foot of Hakkoda Mountains, one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains. Another appealing feature is its location surrounded by great nature, with the Yachi Wetlands spreading out nearby.
The inn has 36 rooms across the main building, east wing, and west wing, and from every room, you can enjoy seasonal scenery through wide windows.

A bridge on the Route 394 bypass spanning Jogakura Gorge in Towada-Hachimantai National Park.
With an overall length of Approx. 360 meters and an arch span of Approx. 255 meters, it is one of Japan’s largest upper-deck arch bridges.
It is also Approx. 122 meters high, and the view looking down over Jogakura Gorge below is breathtaking.
From the bridge, you can see the Hakkoda mountain range, Mt. Iwaki, and even Aomori City, with scenery that changes beautifully from season to season.

Located close to Sukayu Onsen, this pond was formed by an eruption caused by volcanic activity in the Hakkoda Mountains around 800 years ago.
It covers an area of Approx. 4,500 square meters and was formed when hot spring water bubbling up nearby collected in the remains of an explosion crater.
Even now, steam vents, traces of past volcanic activity, are scattered around the area, and the air is filled with a distinctive sulfur smell. This is how the pond came to be named “Jigokunuma,” or “Hell Pond.”

A marshy pond located along National Route 103, also known as the “Hakkoda Towada Gold Line,” which connects central Aomori City and Lake Towada, on the way from Sukayu Onsen to Yachi Onsen.
It cannot be seen from the road, but after walking for Approx. 2 minutes along the boardwalk from the highway, you will arrive at the pond, with countless ponds of various sizes scattered around the area.