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This is for Real, Outdoor Bath with Milky White Water!

This is for Real, Outdoor Bath with Milky White Water!

Forecast calls for lots more snow tomorrow! It’s been a bit too warm the last couple days, but all that will change for the next week or so.
What better way to enjoy a snow day then relaxing in an open-air bath! Kyounso, one of the three inns of Matsukawa Onsen, has a breathtakingly beautiful outdoor bath with milky white water that and views of the surrounding mountains that will silence your mind and bring you into the present moment.

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Come to the Snow Festival!

Come to the Snow Festival!

The Hachimantai-Appi Snow Festival is being held in Hachimantai until the 28th of February! There was a fireworks display celebrating the beginning of the festivities, and about 1,000 fireworks were set off at the Hachimantai Resort Panorama Ski Area!
During the Snow Festival, if you stay at a lodging facility in Hachimantai, you can get a discount on lift tickets for Hachimantai Resort and APPI!

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Here the New Limited Edition of Sake!

Here the New Limited Edition of Sake!

Washinoo (pronounced washi-no-oh), the local sake brewery of Hachimantai, released a new limited edition sake yesterday!
All of the sake made at Washinoo uses spring water that filters down from the glorious volcano that towers above the city, Mt. Iwate. Using a combination of the skill of the brewmaster and the modern scientific knowledge of the owner- who graduated from the Engineering Department of the best university in Japan, Tokyo University, Washinoo continues to create uniquely pleasing sake.

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See the Sea of Clouds!

See the Sea of Clouds!

On some beautiful days in January, it is still possible to hike up Mt. Iwate – assuming you leave before dawn and have all the proper gear that you need.
But when you go to the trouble – you can see aspects of the mountain that few people are able to. For example the shape of the snow on the summit forms an interesting feathered pattern that is called a “shrimp tail” in Japanese.

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A Warm Welcome to Pension Mutti

A Warm Welcome to Pension Mutti

Located in Appi Kogen’s Pension Village, Pension Mutti welcomes all guests with warm, open arms. Aiming to offer guests an experience as comforting as if they were in their own homes, their owner speaks fluent English, making it well-known as a place to stay for foreign visitors.

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Let'go to Nanataki Falls Frozen Waterfall!

Discover Nanataki Ice Falls!

Every year, Nanataki Falls in Hachimantai freezes to form a gargantuan ice falls. People from all over Iwate make the 2.5km trek through the snowy forest to see this breathtaking natural creation.

This winter has been colder than the last few years, and we’re getting lots of snow. So I decided to go explore the area around Nanantaki Falls and check the progress of the waterfall on January 3rd, despite the fact that it usually doesn’t freeze until the end of the month – so most people go in early February.

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Perfect Powder in Hachimantai!

Perfect Powder in Hachimantai!

We are getting tons of snow all over Japan this week, and in Hachimantai, the powder is perfect!
Whether you’re staying near APPI, in the Hachimantai Onsenkyo, or near the Panorama Ski Area, there are buses that will take you everywhere you need to go!

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