Hachikita Kogen Scenic Walking Course｜Hiking / Cycling｜Things to Do

Although Hachikita Kogen is known for its ski areas in the winter, the natural surroundings including rare plants like the Zezanso(Skunk Cabbage) and other plants specific to the plateau grow in abundance during the spring, summer and fall making it a place to be enjoyed during any season.
A course with several points of interest like Onuma Marshlands and Shoryuno Falls. (Slightly tougher walking course)

Shoryuno Falls

Mizubasho no Sato

View from Doroike Rice Terrace

Route map

Route directions and land marks

1) Hachikita Kogen ski area parking lot: Begin at Hachikita Kogen ski area parking lot. Enter through the asphalt road going through the ski area.

2) Onuma Marshlands: 3 minutes from the parking lot there’s a T-intersection, turn right and walk for 20 minutes up the steep slope to Onuma Marshlands. A high elevation marshland at about 820m in a low basin with a landslip in the back. There is a maintained wooden walkway and you can view various mountain vegetables like Yamadori-zenmai and marsh plants like sundew. It is also an area where fireflies thrive. Around mid May a field of Muscari surround the white birch near Onuma Marshlands like a field of lavender.

3) Paved road: Go down the slope along the chair lift from Onuma Marshland and merge onto the paved road, turn right.

4) Mizubasho no Sato: After following the road for about 10 minutes you’ll see “Mizubasho no Sato” in the valley below the slope. Approximately 12,000 mizubasho (skunk cabbages) are planted in the unused rice fields. The flowers begin to bloom with the melting of the snows. The best time to see them is from the start of April to the end of April.

5) Green Park Hachikita: Go up the hill from Misubasho no Sato via Green Park Hachikita to the entrance of the road to “Shoryuno Falls” where the road starts to slope down. There are several large boulders and the place feels like it’s from the world of Totoro.

6) Shoryuno Falls: Turn right and climb the trail along the stream from Otani River, after about 10 minutes you’ll come to “Shoryuno Falls”. Legend says that long ago a giant serpent climbed this waterfall to heaven. In the center of the waterfall is a rock that looks like a gorilla’s face and next to Shoryuno Falls is a double waterfall.

7) Family Ski Slope: From Shoryuno Falls go back to the original road and backtrack about 30 minutes until you see the patrol building go to the right past the building. Walk along the woodchip trail through ski slope, once you have crossed the hill you should see end point, same as where you started.
Come and see the Zazensou a Designated Prefectural Important Cultural Property and Natural Monument, even though the cluster of Zazensou (type of skunk cabbage) can only be seen during a certain time (around the end of March).
In late March as the snows melt the purple-colored dark brown flower of the perennial herbaceous plant of the Araceae family begins to poke its head through the melting snow. The flower is said to look similar to the figure of a monk wearing zen clothes practicing Zazen (seated meditation) hence the given name Zazensou. Another name it’s called is Dharma grass, taken from the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma and the red part of the plant is not a flower but an enclosure like an altar.

Route: Hachikita Kogen ski area parking lot > Onuma Marshlands > Mizubasho no Sato > Green Park Hachikita > Shoryuno Falls > Hachikita Kogen ski area parking lot

Difficulty: ★★☆

Route Category: Mountain, highlands, riverside

Type of Activity

★☆☆　Flat course（Elevation gain less than 100m）or less than 5km.
★★☆　Slightly undulating course（Elevation gain less than 500m）or less than 10ｋｍ.
★★★　Rugged course（Elevation gain more than 500m）or 11ｋｍ.

Distance	About 5.5km
Required Time	Walking time of about 1 hour 45 minutes.
Starting Point	Start / End point: Hachikita Kogen ski area parking lot
Getting Here	By Train & Bus: From JR Yoka Station take a Zentan Bus to Hachikita (ハチ北) bus stop and get off here. By Car: Go to Hachikita Kogen ski area parking lot
Road Conditions	Asphalt, dirt
Resting Place	Public restroom: Hachikita Kogen ski area parking lot, Green Park Hachikita
Signpost Presence	Not Present
Guide Availability	Available Contact: Hachikita Tourist Association Phone: 0796-96-0732 Fee: Inquire about fees
Notes	This path is closed during winter (Ski resort's open season)
Contact	Contact: Hachikita Tourist Association Phone: 0796-96-0732

Things to Do

Hachikita Kogen Scenic Walking Course ハチ北高原パノラマウォークコース

Hachikita Kogen Scenic Walking Course

ハチ北高原パノラマウォークコース