The Hachimantai Dragon Eye is World Famous
The Hachimantai Dragon Eye was featured on the BBC Reel in a beautiful short video explaining the beautiful phenomenon.
They even found a way to discuss this beautiful phenomenon (which started from an instagram post from a foreign visitor) and tie it into a local myth of the dragons of Lake Towada and Tazawa.
The Hachimantai Dragon Eye is best viewed in early June – when hopefully international travel will be allowed again!
Great to see the BBC sharing a video of our very own Hachimantai!
Matsukawa Hot Springs Explodes in Color
The autumn colors are now at their peak in Hachimantai! Now is the perfect time to visit Matsukawa Hot Springs and enjoy gazing at the brightly colored autumn leaves while bathing in an outdoor bath and perhaps even enjoying a sip of sake! (Matsukawaso sell little 500-yen pitchers of sake that you can drink in the mixed bathing outdoor bath!!)
If you’re not in the mood for a bath, just taking in the view at Genbuiwa or the Matsukawa Geothermal Power plant is also a great way to spend a day!
Discover the Secret World of Mt. Iwate
The Nanataki trail up Mt. Iwate starts in a place called Kenmin no Mori (Iwate Prefectural Citizens’ Forest Campgrounds). This is my favorite trail up Mt. Iwate for obvious reasons. It is long (about 21km round trip), but there are so many different transitions in the scenery that you get to enjoy many mountains all in one.
I would actually recommend trying just the first leg of this hike without going all the way to the summit of Mt. Iwate if you’re not confident. The bottom photo below is a placed called Ojigokudani, or the Great Hell Valley – that you find after walking for about 90 minutes on the Nanataki Trail. (The waterfall in the top picture is along the trail about an hour in.)
Visit them All! Discover a Variety of Unique Bathing Experiences Unlike Anything You’ve Seen Before!
There are many different types of hot springs to choose from. It’s up to you to decide which one you want to enjoy. It would be a waste to visit only one! Most hot springs in Japan are sulfurous. Hachimantai is no exception, and has sulfur hot springs as well. Guests can enjoy both the unique smell and atmosphere. Don’t forget to use a wet towel on your head to regulate your body temperature in the hot spring baths.
Go cycling through the Towada Hachimantai National Park!
Great routes for cyclists of all levels of experience!
There are routes for everyone in Hachimantai, whether you’ve never even touched a road bike before or you’re a world-class cyclist! And we’ll match you with the route that’s right for you!
In particular, the Expert Course is recommended for advanced cyclists, as it is included in the Hachimantai Hill Climb Race Course. Pedal out into the wilderness of Hachimantai! Get information about the differences in elevation and relay spots where you can take a break and do some sightseeing. Information on bike rental stores, power lunches, etc. are also really useful!
Mt. Mitsuishi in the Fall!
Ambitious hikers could continue past the summit to make the 15km loop known as the “Ura Iwate Traverse” and enjoy stunning views from Komokkodake, Obukadake, and Gentagatake. This longer hike would likely take 6 to 8 hours depending on your pace, so allow for time to get back before dark.
If you’re just going from Matsukawa Hot Springs to the summit and back, that is likely going to take about 2 hours to get there, and a bit less for the return trip.
Try This Popular Desserts Made from the Natural Goodness of Hachimantai!
Soft-serve ice cream was born in the United States, but grew up in Japan.
Japanese soft-serve really has evolved in some delicious ways! Each area of Japan seems to have its own special type of soft-serve ice cream, using not only fruits but also vegetables and sake.
Of course Hachimantai also has its own special flavors! Taste ice cream made with wild grapes or spinach – only in Hachimantai!
Take a Trip to a World of Visit Color – Discover Goshiki-numa Pond!
Now is the perfect time to visit Goshiki Pond in Hachimantai! While it changes color throughout the year and thus warrants multiple visits, if you were only going to see it once, now would be the time! Around late August and early September, just after the end of the rainy season in Japan, the pond is at its most radiant. The bright azure color of the water right now is further accentuated by the red clay that surrounds the pond. Its location right next to another scenic lake, this one not augmented by subterranean minerals and thus normal (though beautiful) in color, makes the special character of Goshiki Pond even more pronounced!
This is a Perfect Location to Enjoy the Perfection of Nature!
Hachimantai City in Iwate Prefecture is home to not one, but three famous ski resorts: APPI Kogen Ski Resort, and Hachimantai Resorts Panorama and Shimokura. Together with its excellent powder snow and heavy snowfall, it’s one of the best places in Japan for skiing.
Enjoy a Visit to Cafe Nollegretto
Hachimantai City in Iwate Prefecture is home to not one, but three famous ski resorts: APPI Kogen Ski Resort, and Hachimantai Resorts Panorama and Shimokura. Together with its excellent powder snow and heavy snowfall, it’s one of the best places in Japan for skiing.
Alpine Flowers are in Bloom in Hachimantai!
We may be right in the middle of the rainy season here in Hachimantai – but this is also the season for beautiful alpine flowers! There are so many interesting, not to mention stunningly beautiful, flowers that are blooming right now!
New Car Rental Information Listings
Car rental information has been posted under access.
Please consider renting a car in order to make the most of the time you have for your vacation.