Hiking to an Ice Falls
If you’re wondering what it might be like to snowshoe out from the Prefectural Forestry Museum in Hachimantai to the Nanataki Ice Falls, look no farther!
If you’re wondering what it might be like to snowshoe out from the Prefectural Forestry Museum in Hachimantai to the Nanataki Ice Falls, look no farther!
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.
Pension Palette, where visitors can try both Japanese wagyu beef and red king crab in a single meal. The owner is particularly skilled at baking, and their croissants are very popular.
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.
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!
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.
The Nanataki Falls in Hachimantai are starting to freeze! This famous ice falls is glorious to see every year – and lots of people make the snowshoe hike through the forest to see it each winter.
Sakuramatsu Shrine in Hachimantai is one of my favorite places to go (besides the mountains) in the winter. This ancient shrine has a rare dragon/serpent shrine built into a cliff, and the atmosphere is really otherworldly.
But most people that come here visit for Fudo Falls – one of the 100 most beautiful waterfalls in Japan. In another month or so it will freeze into a magnificent ice falls, but for now it’s still flowing. This waterfall also has a rather mysterious history as a center for Shugendo training. Buddhist Mountain Ascetics would stand under the falls while chanting the Heart Sutra as part of their spiritual training hundreds of years ago.
Winter is nearly here! This is arguably the best season to enjoy Hachimantai, though of course there are all sorts of exciting activities throughout the year. That said- winter is particularly breathtaking up here!
The Hachimantai Rising Sun Hotel is proud of how spacious it is!
Relax and recharge your energy by stretching out in the large hot springs bath!
In the lounge, you can relax round the lovely fireplace while playing pool or the classic Japanese board games of Igo, Shogi, or even Mahjong. If you like to drink, there are specials plans that you’re going to love!