Discover 8 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Towada-Hachimantai National Park (Japan). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Sukayu Onsen, Lake Towada, and Mount Akita-Komagatake. Also, be sure to include Hakkōda Mountains in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Towada-Hachimantai National Park (Akita).
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Sukayu Onsen
Also known as: 酸ヶ湯
Campground in Aomori, Japan. Sukayu Onsen is an onsen in the Hakkōda Mountains in the city of Aomori, Aomori Prefecture in Japan. It is known for its "Sen-nin-buro" or "1,000-person bath", a large mixed gender public bath.[1]
Address: 1 Nitta, 038-0001 Aomori
Lake Towada
Also known as: 十和田湖
Lake in Japan. Lake Towada is the largest crater lake in Honshū island, Japan. Located on the border between Aomori and Akita prefectures, it lies 400 meters above sea level and is 327 m deep, drained by the Oirase river. With a surface area of 61.1 km², Towada is Japan's 12th largest lake, its bright blue color is due to its great depth. The lake is roughly circular, with two peninsulas extending from its southern shore approximately one-third into the center of the lake. The lake is a popular tourist destination.[2]
Mount Akita-Komagatake
Also known as: 秋田駒ヶ岳
Mountain in Japan. Akita-Komagatake is an active stratovolcano located 10 km east of Tazawa Lake, near the border between Akita and Iwate prefectures on Honshu Island. The volcano last erupted from 18 September 1970 to 25 January 1971. It is the highest mountain in Akita Prefecture and the second highest in Towada-Hachimantai National Park.[3]
Hakkōda Mountains
Also known as: 八甲田山
Mountain range in Japan. The Hakkōda Mountains are an active volcanic complex in south-central Aomori Prefecture, Japan, in Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Often called Mount Hakkōda or simply Hakkōda, the mountains are collectively listed as one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains. Its highest peak, Mount Ōdake, lies 21.3 kilometers southeast of central Aomori and 28 kilometers west of central Towada and has an elevation of 1,585 meters. The Hakkōda Mountains are a part Ōu Mountains which make up part of the Northeastern Japan Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The volcanic complex consists of fourteen stratovolcanoes and lava domes arranged into two volcanic groups. The Northern Hakkōda Volcanic Group emerges from the rim of an 8-kilometer-wide caldera that dates back to the Pleistocene. The Southern Hakkōda Volcanic Group predates the caldera.
The Hakkōda Mountains attract many climbers, skiers, and sightseers. The mountains offer extensive backcountry skiing in the winter and early spring. There is a lift, the Hakkōda Ropeway in the northern Hakkōda Mountains used by visitors year-round and several hiking trails cross the mountains. While the trails do not pose any technical climbing challenges, Hakkōda presents dangers such as volcanic gases, harsh winter weather, and avalanches. The most notable incident in mountains' history was the Hakkōda Mountains incident, the worst mountaineering accident in modern history.[4]
Matsumi Falls
Also known as: 松見の滝
Waterfall in Japan. Matsumi Falls is a waterfall in the city of Towada, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, on a tributary of the Oirase River, which flows down from Lake Towada. It is one of "Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls", in a listing published by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 1990.[5]
Sannōkai Dam
Also known as: 山王海ダム
The Sannōkai Dam is a dam on the Toyosawa River, a tributary of the Kitakami River system, located in the town of Shiwa, Iwate Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of the island of Honshū, Japan. It completed in 1952.[6]
Ōu Mountains
Also known as: 奥羽山脈
Mountain range in Japan. The Ōu Mountains are a mountain range in the Tōhoku region of Honshū, Japan. The range is the longest range in Japan and stretches 500 km south from the Natsudomari Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture to the Nasu volcanoes at the northern boundary of the Kantō region. Though long, the range is only about 35 kilometres wide. The highest point in the range is Mount Iwate, 2,038 metres.
The range includes several widely known mountains: Hakkōda Mountains, Mount Iwate, Mount Zaō, Mount Azuma, Mount Yakeishi, and Mount Adatara.[7]
Iwate College of Nursing
Also known as: 岩手看護短期大学
Junior college in Takizawa, Japan. Iwate College of Nursing is a private junior college in Takizawa, Iwate, Japan. Originally established in 1990 as a women's junior college, it became coeducational in 2000.[8]