Mountains · Aomori
Hakkōda Mountains
八甲田山はっこうださんHakkōda-sanSnow-bound volcanoes above Aomori, with moors, hot springs and snow monsters.
The Hakkōda Mountains (八甲田山) are a group of volcanoes south of Aomori City whose highest peak, Ōdake, reaches 1,585 m. Among the snowiest places in Japan, they are known for rime-covered "snow monsters", the hot springs of Sukayu and the 1902 snow-march disaster in which 199 soldiers died.
Overview
The Hakkōda Mountains rise just south of Aomori Bay, a group of some eighteen volcanic peaks divided into a northern group, with Ōdake, and a southern group around Kushigamine. Between the rounded summits lie high moors (tashiro) dotted with ponds, and at their foot are some of the best-known hot springs of northern Japan: Sukayu, Yachi and Tsuta.
Winter defines the mountains. Monsoon winds from the Sea of Japan bring snow that regularly exceeds several metres in depth; Sukayu Onsen records some of the deepest snow cover of any weather station in Japan. The resulting rime-coated firs and deep powder draw skiers from around the world, while the tragedy of the 1902 snow march remains a national memory.
Landscape and formation
The Hakkōda volcanoes stand on the rim of older calderas formed by large ignimbrite eruptions several hundred thousand years ago; the younger peaks, including Ōdake, grew from the caldera edge. Small phreatic eruptions have occurred within historic times, and fumaroles and acidic hot springs remain active.
The gentle plateaus between the peaks hold moors such as Suirenuma and Tashiro-taira, and meltwater from the mountains feeds the Oirase stream and Lake Towada to the south.
Highlights
Ōdake
大岳ŌdakeThe highest peak, 1,585 m, with a crater and views to Mount Iwaki and the Shimokita peninsula.
Sukayu Onsen
酸ヶ湯温泉Sukayu onsenA historic mixed-bathing hot spring with the vast wooden "thousand-person bath", trailhead for Ōdake.
Suirenuma
睡蓮沼SuirenumaA moor pond with the southern Hakkōda peaks reflected in it, especially in autumn.
Tashiro-taira
田代平湿原Tashiro-taira shitsugenA high moor on the eastern side with boardwalks.
Ecology
Aomori fir, adapted to heavy snow, dominates the upper forests; on the plateaus, moors support Sphagnum bogs and wetland flowers. The rime ice of winter forms on these firs.
Flora
Aomori fir
アオモリトドマツaomori-todomatsuMaries' fir, the tree on which the snow monsters form.
Nikkō-kisuge
ニッコウキスゲnikkō-kisugeYellow day lilies bloom on the moors in July.
Beech
ブナbunaOld beech forest on the lower slopes towards Oirase and Tsuta.
Fauna
Asian black bear
ツキノワグマtsukinowagumaCommon in the beech forests.
Japanese serow
カモシカkamoshikaOften seen in snow in winter.
Culture
The Hakkōda Mountains lie in Japan's snow country, where hot springs served farmers as places of healing; Sukayu has been used for more than three centuries. The snow march of January 1902 – a training exercise before the Russo-Japanese War – is commemorated by the statue of Corporal Gotō Fusanosuke, one of the few survivors, on the Umatateba hill. Nitta Jirō's novel Hakkōdasan shi no hōkō (1971) and the 1977 film made the tragedy widely known.
Gotō Corporal statue
後藤伍長銅像Gotō gochō dōzōA memorial statue on Umatateba marking the place where the survivor was found standing in the snow.
Snow march memorial museum
八甲田山雪中行軍遭難資料館Hakkōda-san setchū kōgun sōnan shiryōkanA museum in Aomori City at the soldiers' cemetery.
History
1902
Snow-march disaster: 199 of 210 soldiers of the 5th Infantry Regiment die in a blizzard.
1936
Towada National Park is designated, including Hakkōda; it becomes Towada-Hachimantai in 1956.
1997
Volcanic gas kills three soldiers during an exercise in a hollow at the foot.
Through the seasons
Spring
Deep snow into May; the snow corridor on the road between Sukayu and Yachi opens in April.
Summer
Moor flowers in July; hiking season from June to October.
Autumn
Among the finest autumn colours in Japan, from late September on the peaks to mid-October at the foot.
Winter
Very deep snow and rime-covered trees; backcountry skiing from the ropeway. Conditions are severe, with frequent whiteouts.
Routes and trails
Sukayu – Ōdake
From the hot spring via Jigoku-yu-no-sawa to Ōdake, about 3 hours up; moderate.
Ropeway traverse
From the ropeway top station via Akakura-dake and Ido-dake to Ōdake and down to Sukayu, 4–5 hours; a popular day route.
Moor walk at the ropeway top station
A 30–60 minute loop around the Tamoyachi moor; easy.
Practical notes
- Sukayu and the ropeway are reached by bus from Aomori station in about one hour.
- Avoid hollows marked with gas warnings; carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide can accumulate on calm days.
- In winter, backcountry skiers should carry avalanche equipment and register their route.
- Hakkōda is monitored as an active volcano by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in the Hakkōda snow march of 1902?
In January 1902 a battalion of the Imperial Army's 5th Infantry Regiment set out from Aomori on a winter training march into the Hakkōda Mountains and was caught by a blizzard; 199 of the 210 men died. The disaster was retold in Nitta Jirō's novel and the 1977 film Hakkōdasan.
How long does it take to climb Ōdake?
From Sukayu Onsen about 3 hours up via the Jigoku-yu-no-sawa, or about 1.5–2 hours from the top station of the Hakkōda Ropeway via Akakura-dake and Ido-dake.
When can the snow monsters be seen?
Juhyō form on Aomori fir trees near the ropeway top station from about January to early March, depending on the weather.
Is Hakkōda an active volcano?
Yes. The Japan Meteorological Agency lists the Hakkōda group as active; volcanic gas has caused fatal accidents in hollows at the foot, where warning signs are posted.
Related
Sources
- 1.日本の主な山岳標高 (opens in a new tab) — 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)
- 2.十和田八幡平国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
- 3.火山登山者向けの情報提供ページ（八甲田山） (opens in a new tab) — 気象庁 (Japan Meteorological Agency)
- 4.青森県庁ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 青森県 (Aomori Prefecture)