Hakuba during the green season · During the Green Season in Hakuba
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During the Green Season in Hakuba
During the Green Season in Hakuba
Near Hakuba, during the green season (i.e. spring, summer & autumn), there are three freshwater lakes that are so clean that you can swim in them. In order from south to north, they are called Aoki-ko, Nakazuna-ko, and Kizaki-ko. The use of engines and outboard motors is banned on Aoki-ko, making it the quietest and nicest of the three. Popular activities include boating, sport fishing, and windsurfing. Nakazuna-ko is very small and only really attracts fishermen. Kizaki-ko is the most developed, and since engines are allowed, sports like wakeboarding are popular.
During the summer, most of the ski resorts operate some of their lifts to allow access to higher elevations. At Hakuba 47 and Aokiko (in nearby Omachi), the lifts allow access for mountain biking. Hiking or simply enjoying the views are popular at Happo, Goryu and Tsugaike. Above Happo, an easy trail extends for 40 minutes to a small pond in which the local alpine peaks are reflected. A couple of hours further up the trail lies the peak of Mt. Karamatsu on the main ridge of the North Alps. The top ski run at Goryu becomes an alpine garden in summer and another trail leads further upward to a viewpoint (around 50 minutes) or the peak of Mt. Goryu itself (around four hours). Above Tsugaike, a further ropeway takes you to a wetland that is designated as a national park. A trail from here takes you up to Mt. Shirouma, after which Hakuba is named. Shirouma and Hakuba are different readings of the kanji for "white horse". The smaller ski field of Iwatake uses its pistes to grow thousands of lilies in summer and also has a dry ski slope if you're desperate for turns.
Like all mountain areas in Japan, temperatures in Hakuba stay much cooler than in the cities on Japan's Pacific coast. That alone makes it worthy of a visit.
Hakuba, located in Nagano Prefecture, equally central to Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo and nestled at the base of the Northern Japan Alps is towered over by the Three Peaks which provide a stunning backdrop year round. While Hakuba is world famous for it's snow and boasts more than 10 resorts, the green season offers plenty to those craving an escape from the confines of Japan in general.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Hakuba
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Hakuba - updated May 2024
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Hakuba Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.