Michinoku’s Mountain Range—Serene Lake colored by the virgin forests, live volcanoes and hot spring resorts in the depth of the mountains.
Day 1
Have you ever heard of Towada-Hachimantai National Park? This Japanese natural paradise in Tohoku is beautiful all year long but becomes extraordinarily scenic during the winter months.
Towada-Hachimantai comprises areas of Aomori, Iwate and Akita prefectures and I’m going to be showing you some of its many highlights! A great start to your journey would be visiting these visitor centers:
At Amihari Visitor Center in Iwate you will find all the information about the area (in English and Japanese) you may need and it’s really cozy! Perfect if you travel with kids too, they will love all the interactive displays (and you will appreciate the comfy seats).
Towada Visitor Center, which is full of English and Japanese info about the many highlights in the area and also has amazing views of the nearby lake
Day 2
Towada-Hachimantai National Park has a diverse flora and fauna and many endemic species call this place home!
You can try to some of these animals with your own eyes while on a Snow-Trekking Tour! Starting from Matsukawa Onsen, your guide will take you through the local, snow covered woods and teach you the secrets of the forest. It was very fun to see rabbit, white marten and Japanese serow tracks. It was not my first time wearing snow shoes but I can say it was my first time walking on almost two meters of snow!
After all that walking, it’s time for a cozy ryokan stay and a steaming rotenburo (open air bath). Matsukawa onsen offers both onsen and rotenburo filled with the local sulfurous and slightly cloudy natural hot spring water. If you’ve never tried shimmering in a rotenburo while snow falls around you - this is your chance! It’s truly a remarkable experience. Would you like to try it?
Bonus sight: The local bus in Matsukawa is a retro beauty! This cab-behind-engine-bus has been navigating the snowy roads for years.
Have you ever gone on a snowshoeing tour? Would you like to?
Day 3
Did you know? Towada Shrine is said to consecrate the incarnation of the deity of Mt.Towada Azure Dragon! Exploring it covered in snow, while listening to the winter forest sounds definitely felt like a mystic experience! The shrine itself is strikingly picturesque, but the contrast with the pristine white snow definitely elevates its beauty.
Near Towada Shrine there’s Lake Towada, one of the highlights of Towada-Hachimantai National Park! It’s the largest crater lake in Honshū, Japan. It’s incredibly deep, the bottom being at 327 m (1,073 ft) of depth!
Its clean, gentle waters gather plenty of lake enthusiasts in Summer, but you can enjoy a Canadian canoe tour all year long. Winter in Lake Towada is a wonderful time for those looking for crispy air adventures and incomparable peace and quiet. Our Canadian Canoe Tour Guide even prepared a hot tea and a treat for everyone while on the canoe. It really made the experience so much fun and warmed my heart and hands!
This is the end of my Towada-Hachimantai National Park post series- hope it made you consider putting it on the itinerary of your next trip to Japan. Don’t forget to check my series about Unzen-Amakusa National Park as well!
