Jun–AugMount Myōkō (2,454 m) and Mount Hiuchi (2,462 m) sit side by side. Below them, Imori Pond mirrors the peaks at twilight, Naena Falls thunders at peak foliage, and the Sasagamine plateau blooms in early summer.
Two peaks in Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains stand side by side, Mount Myōkō (the “Echigo Fuji”) and Mount Hiuchi, also a CNN top-31 most beautiful place in Japan. Around them: subalpine plateaus, mirrored ponds, brilliant autumn beech forests, and one of the deepest snowfalls in the country.
Spring brings the “Leaping Horse” snow pattern on Mount Myōkō, the centuries-old signal for rice planting. Summer opens the high trails (Mount Myōkō from July 1) and lights up Sasagamine’s buttercup fields. Autumn turns Naena Falls and the beech forests around Kōya and Sennin Ponds brilliant red. Winter buries the region in 13 m of snow, the same snow the ski guide is built around.
Two peaks, one pond, one waterfall, the iconic shortlist.
The “Echigo Fuji”, locally sacred, listed in Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains. Multiple routes start from Akakura Onsen via the Sky Cable; full-day climbs reach the crater rim with summit ridge views over Lake Nojiri and Mt. Hiuchi.
In late spring the “Leaping Horse” snow pattern returns to its eastern face, the centuries-old signal for the start of rice planting.
Slightly higher than its neighbour Myōkō, also in Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, and named one of CNN’s 31 Most Beautiful Places in Japan. The classic two-day climb starts at Sasagamine Kōgen, with a hut overnight at Kōya Pond.
Wildflower meadows in July and August; rare Japanese rock ptarmigan above the treeline.
A small alpine pond that mirrors Mount Myōkō at sunrise and twilight. Skunk cabbages bloom in spring, dragonflies in summer, and crimson maples reflect off the water in autumn.
A 1 km loop trail makes a gentle 30-minute walk; the visitor centre next door has natural-history exhibits.
One of Japan’s 100 famous waterfalls. A 55 m drop through a basalt gorge, thundering loudest in spring and at peak autumn foliage in mid-to-late October. A 15-minute trail from the car park reaches the viewing point.
Pair with the Suginosawa Autumn Gondola (Sep–Nov) for an above-the-canopy view of the same forest.
Lifts you to 1,300 m in 11 minutes from Akakura. Trailheads for Mount Myōkō ascent routes start at the top. Open July–November for hiking.
Seasonal gondola for autumn-foliage viewing above Suginosawa Onsen, pair with Naena Falls in a half day.
Best for accessing Sasagamine Kōgen and the Hiuchi trailhead, plus Naena Falls and Sennin Pond. Rental at Joetsu-Myōkō Station. Compare rates on Rakuten Travel.
Five things first-time hikers usually wish they’d known.
Three bases that pair well with high-mountain days.
Walking distance to Imori Pond and an easy drive to Sasagamine. Family-friendly and well-fed.
English-friendly Akakura ryokan, the natural base for Sky Cable rides up Mount Myōkō.
Train-only-friendly base by Myōkō-Kōgen Station. Kaiseki dinners after long hike days.