Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [419]
Getting There & Around
Frequent kaisoku on the JR Hanawa line run between Towada-minami and Morioka (¥2080, 2½ hours) and between Towada-minami and Hachinmantai (¥230, 20 minutes). Infrequent local buses connect Towada-minami to Yasumiya (¥330, one hour).
From April to November, JR buses run between Aomori and Yasumiya (¥3000, three hours), and Morioka and Yasumiya (¥2420, 2¼ hours).
Buses can drop you off at any of the camping grounds or the Towda-ko Grand Hotel, though limited transport options really necessitate having your own wheels.
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AKITA-KEN
Japan’s sixth-largest prefecture, Akita-ken is shaped by the Oū and Dewa mountain ranges, which harbour some of the region’s holiest peaks and shrines, and can be accessed by a series of high alpine trails. At lower altitudes, towns and cities have sprung up around the therapeutic waters of onsen. The prefecture is also firmly rooted in its feudal history, especially in towns such as Kakunodate, which serve as veritable living museums of samurai culture.
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SCENIC DRIVES
Tōno valley
Shimokita-hantō
Towada-ko
Tazawa-ko (right)
Sado-ga-shima
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HACHIMANTAI
Like a row of giant molars, the peaks of this volcanic plateau south of Towada-ko are popular with hikers and onsen enthusiasts. Difficult access keeps the crowds away, but there are opportunities here for some rough and rugged back-country hiking, or a scramble to the top of Hachimantai-san (; 1613m).
There’s a small visitors centre (0186-31-2714; 9am-5pm, closed Nov-Apr) next to the car park at Hachimantai Chōjō. However, the best place for English-language information is at the tourist office in Morioka.
From Hachimantai Chōjō, the main access point for Hachimantai-san, it’s a fairly gentle hour-long hike to the summit. If you’re looking for more challenging multiday treks – assuming you’ve got the appropriate gear and topographic maps – there is a complex network of trails across the Hachimantai plateau originating from Tōshichi Onsen, a 2km walk downhill from the Hachimantai Chōjō car park.
If you have a rental car, the mountain lodge Yuki-no-Koya (; 0186-31-2118; dm incl 2 meals ¥5550; closed mid-Nov–Christmas & Feb–late Apr; ) is a warm and welcoming place constructed entirely of local materials, and set in a quiet riverside location at Shibari Onsen, on Rte 341, north of the turn-off for the Aspite Line Hwy to Hachimantai.
If you’re relying on public transport, the more modern Hachimantai Youth Hostel (0195-78-2031; 5-2 Midorigaoka, Matsuo-mura; dm from ¥3360, breakfast/dinner ¥760/1260; ) is 20 minutes by bus east of the summit – ask the driver to drop you off at the Hachimantai Kankō Hoteru-mae stop.
From April to October, there are five daily buses in either direction between Hachimantai Chōjō and Morioka (¥1320, two hours), and three daily buses in either direction between Hachimantai Chōjō and Tazawa-ko (¥1990, 2¼ hours).
If you’re driving, west of the summit, the Aspite Line Hwy, open late April to November, winds past several hot-spring resorts before joining Rte 341, which leads either south to Tazawa-ko or north towards Towada-ko.
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TAZAWA-KO
0187 / pop 13,000
At 423m, Tazawa-ko is Japan’s deepest lake, complete with sandy beaches, wooded shores and vacationing families either paddling rowboats across still waters or skiing down snow-covered slopes. The area is also home to the atmospheric Nyūtō Onsen, which is tucked up at the top of a winding mountain road, and is famous for its mineral-enriched milky white water. As if all of this isn’t enough of a hard sell, consider the fact that Tazawa-ko also has its own shinkansen station, which makes it an easy-to-access rural getaway.
Orientation & Information
JR Tazawa-ko station