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Autumn Color Report 2012
Official autumn color reports by japan-guide.com

Where to see autumn leaves? - When do trees turn colors? - What trees turn colors?
Schedule of upcoming reports - Post your own report

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2012/10/11 - Hachimantai Report
by scott

Today Schauwecker and I continued our Tohoku Region reporting with a visit to the Hachimantai area of Towada-Hachimantai National Park. We arrived in Morioka by train and rented a car for the one hour drive to the mountain.

The weather forecast for the area was not very optimistic, but fortunately our arrival at the mountain coincided with a break in the rain. It was especially lucky as the autumn colors (koyo) on the lower slopes of Hachimantai were around the peak today.

Soon we arrived at the top of the relatively flat, plateau-like peak of Mount Hachimantai. After parking, we explored part of the trail which passes several lakes on the way to the summit.

Unfortunately, the leaves around the roughly 1600 meter mountaintop were past their peak and were already turning brown.

We returned to the car and drove a little ways down the Akita Prefecture side of the mountain to Fukenoyu Onsen. This small valley has a nice hot spring field with some really rustic outdoor baths right in the middle of the rocky terrain. It ended up being one of the best bathing experiences I've had, despite the difficulties of changing out in the open during a thunderstorm.

After leaving the bath we drove for a few more minutes to Onuma Pond. It was pouring at the time so we only briefly jumped out of the car to get some pictures.

Our last stop of the day was at Goshogake Onsen, a hot spring in the northwestern corner of the park. We briefly explored the network of trails that lead around the area's beautiful hot spring field, stopping to take pictures of its bubbling hells and billowing steam vents.

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List of Posts:
2012/12/11 - Tokyo Report
2012/12/07 - Tokyo Report
2012/12/05 - Kamakura Report
2012/12/02 - Kyoto Report
2012/12/01 - Tokyo Report

2012/11/29 - Kyoto Report
2012/11/29 - Himeji Report
2012/11/27 - Tokyo Report
2012/11/26 - Kyoto Report
2012/11/25 - Kyoto Report
2012/11/23 - Miyajima Report
2012/11/22 - Kyoto Report
2012/11/21 - Tokyo Report
2012/11/21 - Kyoto Report
2012/11/19 - Takaosan Report
2012/11/16 - Kyoto Report
2012/11/15 - Mount Fuji Report
2012/11/15 - Shosenkyo Report
2012/11/14 - Hakone Report
2012/11/13 - Tokyo Report
2012/11/09 - Sakurayama Report
2012/11/08 - Koyasan Report
2012/11/07 - Kyoto Report
2012/11/07 - Nikko Report
2012/11/07 - Yamadera Report
2012/11/06 - Naruko Report
2012/11/05 - Hiraizumi Report
2012/11/05 - Mount Fuji Report
2012/11/01 - Kuju Report

2012/10/31 - Towada Report
2012/10/30 - Bandai Report
2012/10/26 - Minakami Report
2012/10/24 - Nikko Report
2012/10/22 - Alpine Route Report
2012/10/18 - Noboribetsu Report
2012/10/18 - Sounkyo Report
2012/10/17 - Shiretoko Report
2012/10/16 - Norikura Report
2012/10/16 - Nikko Report
2012/10/15 - Kamikochi Report
2012/10/12 - Oze Report
2012/10/11 - Hachimantai Report
2012/10/10 - Bandai Report
2012/10/09 - Nikko Report
2012/10/05 - Route 292 Report
2012/10/04 - Alpine Route Report

2012/09/28 - Kurodake Report
2012/09/27 - Kogen Onsen Report
2012/09/26 - Asahidake Report
2012/09/21 - Asahidake Report
2012/09/20 - Kurodake Report
2012/09/18 - Asahidake Report