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National park in Hokkaidō, Japan
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Daisetsuzan National Park (大雪山国立公園 Daisetsuzan-kokuritsukōen, also pronounced Taisetsuzan) is in the mountainous center of the island of Hokkaido. Formed by a large number of volcanoes which get mostly covered in snow during the winter, the Daisetsuzan is truly a land of ice and fire, with some of the most amazing landscapes of Hokkaido and Japan.
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Famed hot spring resort on the far north part of the park close to Kuro-Dake. See Sounkyo Onsen.
黒岳
The most accessible of the Daisetsu Mountains (the ropeway is just inside Sounkyo) and the easiest hike as a combination of ropeway and chair lift will leave you at about 1-2 hours from the top. Not surprisingly, it's also a quite popular hike and can be quite crowded during peak seasons. If you are not interested in hiking to the top, there are also quite a few easy walking trails and observation platforms..
旭岳
The tallest mountain in Hokkaido (2,290 m) and one of its main attractions. The easiest way to reach Asahidake is by bus from the city of Asahikawa. Catch a bus from outside Asahikawa JR station, via Asahikawa Airport to the Asahidake Ropeway station. There are about 4 buses per day in each direction. The bus will take you to the beginning of a cable car ("ropeway", ¥2800 /3500 return depending on season). The top of the cable car leads to a plateau with a short scenic walk to a set of fumaroles, and a longer walk (1.5-3 hours each way) to the summit of Asahidake.
大雪高原温泉
The Daisetsu Kogen Onsen is a nature area containing the onsen hotel of the same name, and two trails: one 5-hour circular trail across several pounds in the area, and the hike to the Midori-dake. The area is extremely popular during autumn, when the leaves turn red by the second half of September, providing some really fantastic views. At the time access by car is closed but shuttle buses are available from a parking lot in the Taisetsu Lake..
緑岳
With 2,019 m, Midori-dake is shorter than Asahi-dake, but the hike to the summit is longer (2-4 hours) since it starts from a lower altitude, the Daisetsu Kogen Onsen. It is a popular place to see alpine flowers during July-August and autumn colors during mid September. From the summit of Asahi-dake, you may hike another 2 hours to the top of Hakuun-dake..
銀泉台
Gindensai is an extremely popular spot for viewing autumn colours and other terrific views of the Daisetsuzan Mountains, via the hike to the 2,078-m-high Aka-dake, which takes about 3 hours, followed by an easy 30-minute hike to Koizumi-dake. From there, another 50 minutes hike takes you to Hakuun-dake.
十勝岳
富良野岳
This hostel has dormitory style rooms with bunk beds and 2 private Japanese-style rooms for 4. It also has a huge tatami room for large groups. Camping is available in summer. There are onsen and rotemburo (outdoor baths) — men, women, and mixed (swimsuit required) — and saunas. It is located at one of the trail heads for hiking Mt. Tokachidake in the summer, or for a backcountry ski ascent in the winter — they also rent snow-shoes. Shared kitchen facilities are available, with pots, pans, microwaves, rice cookers and gas hobs (¥50 for 20 minutes of gas). There is a small shop with chocolate, drinks, and microwavable rice. Not much English is spoken.
By car
Unless you are going for multi-day hikes, it's generally better to visit the national park by car if you plan to do multiple activities during your stay there.
Basically there are only two effective ways to get around the national park: by car or by hiking.
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Higashikagura · Regional · AKJ
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