Hachimantai Snow Walls

Drive past towering walls of snow

The high-altitude Hachimantai area is known for its scenic roads that wind through forests and wetlands. While many of the roads are snowed in throughout the winter, they reopen in late April surrounded by massive walls of snow. Particularly noteworthy is the Hachimantai Aspite Line that runs through Akita and Iwate prefectures.

The Aspite Line road is flanked on both sides by snow walls that can reach up to a staggering six meters in height, The corridor itself is 27 kilometers long, the longest in Japan. As you make your way down the road, you’ll see the pristine white corridor against a dramatic backdrop of beech forests.

The reopening of the Aspite Line coincides with the start of spring, so once you reach the base of Hachimantai, you’ll be greeted with groves of cherry blossoms in full bloom. It’s a great way to say sayonara to winter and hello to spring.

How to get there

The Hachimantai Aspite Line is about two hours by bus from Morioka Station. Take the Morioka-Hachimantai Line to the Hachimantai Chojo Stop. This bus does not operate in the heart of winter.

Find Hotels