Towada-Hachimantai National Park

The Towada-Hachimnatai National Park, at the northern tip of Honshu, is divided into two separate sections. The northern section includes the area around Lake Towada, while the southern section consists of the Hachimantai Plateau, with Mounts Iwate, Nyuto and Koma. The natural beauty of these regions, with their magnificent forests, crystal clear lakes and volcanic cones is still largely untouched.

To the south of the coastal town of Aomori are the Hakkoda Mountains. Sukayu-onsen is a good base from which to see the Hakkoda Mountains, a range of eight extinct volcanoes, the highest of which is Odake or Sukayu (5,200ft/ 1,585m). The dense forests in this area are particularly beautiful in autumn. From the summit of Mount Odake the view reaches to the Sea of Japan in the west and the Pacific in the east.

Lake Towada is a large crater lake (area 23sq.mi/ 59sq.km, depth 1,100ft/ 334m) surrounded by primeval forest, with a road following its shores.