Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [418]
After soaking up the views of the Shirakami mountain range at the summit, you can then take the descending path, which winds past the smaller peak of Tori-no-umi-san (), and terminates in the village of Dake-onsen (). From here, there are there are up to eight buses daily back to Hirosaki bus terminal (¥900, one hour). The entire 9km hike should take you around 6½ hours, which means that you can easily summit Iwaki-san on a day trip from Hirosaki if you get an early start.
However, if you want to stay the night, Asobe no Mori Iwakisō (; 0172-83-2215; r per person incl 2 meals from ¥7350), in Hyakuzawa Onsen is a safe bet. From Hirosaki bus terminal stop 3, take a bus bound for Iwaki-sō and get off at the last stop (¥660, one hour).
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AONI ONSEN
A seriously atmospheric, but seriously isolated, onsen, Aoni Onsen Ryokan (; 0172-54-8588; fax 54-2655; www.yo.rim.or.jp/~aoni/html/index.htm, in Japanese; r per person incl 2 meals from ¥9600, bath ¥500; ) seems to exist in a time warp. Here, alongside Rte 102 between Hirosaki and Towada-ko, oil lamps replace electricity, open hearths replace kitchen appliances and bathing is elevated to a fine art. Note that advanced reservations are mandatory.
If you don’t have your own car, you’re going to have to work to get out here, though the journey helps filter out the true onsen buffs. By public transport, take the private Kounan Tetsudō line from Hirosaki to Kuroishi (¥420, 30 minutes, six daily); Kounan buses connect with arriving passengers for Niji-no-ko (¥750, 10 minutes), from where shuttle buses run to Aoni (free, 30 minutes, six daily).
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TOWADA-KO
0176 / pop 6000
There’s no denying that this 327m-deep crater lake (52km in circumference) has impressive scenery and famously transparent waters, though it is a bit difficult to access without your own car, and it’s much less developed for tourism than nearby Tazawa-ko. With that said, it’s a lovely place for a scenic drive if you need a break from the highway, or for a relatively quiet lakeside amble if you need a break from the crowds.
Nenokuchi, a small tourist outpost on the eastern shore of the lake, marks the entrance to the 14km Oirase Valley Nature Trail, a three-hour hike along the lakeshore; you might want to hike it in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the coach parties. The path ends at Yakeyama, from where relatively frequent buses return to Nenokuchi (¥660, 30 minutes) and Yasumiya (¥1100, one hour).
The tourist hub, Yasumiya, offers numerous boat tours of the lake, the best of which is the one-hour cruise between Yasumiya and Nenokuchi (one way ¥1400). Boats leave roughly every hour from April to early November between 8am and 4pm. You can also rent mountain bikes at the dock for ¥1500 per day from April to November.
The hole-in-the-wall tourist information centre (75-2425; 8am-5pm), just north of the JR bus station, can help arrange accommodation.
There are several camping grounds around the edge of the lake, including Towada-ko Oide Camping Ground (75-2368; camp sites ¥300; 25 Apr–5 Nov; ), about 4km west of Yasumiya.
South of the ferry pier in Yasumiya is the Towada-ko Grand Hotel (75-1111; Yasumiya-sanbashi-mae, Towada-kohan, Towada-chō, Kamikita-gun; r per person incl 2 meals from ¥6800; ), a pleasant cross between a European chalet and a Japanese country inn.
A somewhat cheaper option is the Hakubutsukan Youth Hostel (75-2002; dm from ¥3360; ), which offers dorm beds squeezed into the old wing of the Towada-ko Grand Hotel.
Minshuku line the track leading out of Yasumiya away from the lake, but almost all of them close from November through March.
A great place for handmade soba noodles, tempura and other Japanese meals,