Recommended hiking spot
Hardcore hikers can enjoy a 14 km long trek along Oirase Gorge in Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Head out from Yakiyama through the expansive woods filled with numerous waterfalls and various streams with gentle currents, which bring the mountain’s nature to life.
Along Oirase Gorge you can find Choshi Falls, a waterfall that is 7m tall and 15m wide. The mist created by the waterfall is especially refreshing in the summer, making this the perfect spot to have a rest during your hike.
Located in the middle of Towada-Hachimantai National Park, Lake Towada is the largest crater lake in Japan and the third deepest at 327 metres. With an altitude of 400 metres above sea level, the fresh air and pure waters are the best part of the park. You can also enjoy a boat ride on the lake, which has a total surface area of 60km². The boats operate throughout the year, and you can revel in the vibrant scenery of the surrounding national park.
Other options
Enjoy a boat ride on Lake Towada, which has a total surface area of 60km². The boats operate throughout the year, and you can revel in the vibrant scenery of the surrounding national park.
This wonderful spot can also be enjoyed from the road by cyclists. You can enjoy cycling along the gorge on the 24km long ride, which takes just under two hours and starts from Lake Towada Onsen Resort on the southern side of Lake Towada.
Lake Towada sits at 400m above sea level and is one of Japan’s largest crater lakes which formed after a volcanic eruption 2000 years ago. Its beauty can be appreciated throughout the year – with fresh green leaves in spring, a mystical atmosphere in the winter and magnificent autumn foliage in Autumn. Visitors can explore the lake up close and personal via guided canoe tours which are held throughout the year.
The Towada area has a long history with horses that still thrives today and the horse riding is becoming a popular experience.
A traditional horseback archery event, Yabusame, is also held in the late April and offers the amazing scene of horses running so fast under the trees in full bloom over a distance of around 200 meters.
