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Mount Moriyoshi Snow Monsters

natureOff the trail — and worth it

Near the top of Mount Moriyoshi, fir trees disappear each winter under wind-packed ice and snow. Counted with Zao and Hakkoda among Japan's three great juhyo sites, they are reached by gondola and a short walk.

FromKakunodate Station
~1 hr 30 minAkita Nairiku Line + shuttle taxi
Get off atAniai Station (Akita Nairiku Line)
From there
Mount Moriyoshi Snow Monsters

Directions ↗

The sweet spot

It is not a hidden place: Kitaakita City presents it as one of Japan's three great juhyo sites. The effort is all in the approach — a rural line with few trains, then a pre-booked shuttle taxi to the gondola.

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Ani Gondola summit station掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Ani Gondola base stationthe lower station at the ski area, where the ride up begins
Ani Gondolasix-seat cabins climbing the south-west slope of the mountain
Summit station and Purattothe top station and its visitor centre, with gear to borrow and juhyo classes by guides
Juhyo-dairathe roped viewing field where the ice-clad firs stand in rows

How to actually get there

Kakunodate Station → Aniai Station (Akita Nairiku Line, ~1 hr 30 min).
Aniai Station → Ani Gondola base station (pre-booked shuttle taxi, ~25 min).
Base station → summit station (Ani Gondola, ~20 min).
Summit station → Juhyo-daira on foot (~5 min); stay inside the ropes.

Akita Nairiku Line from Kakunodate: Kakunodate Station (Akita Shinkansen) →(Akita Nairiku Line, ~1 hr 30 min)→ Aniai Station →(shuttle taxi booked in advance, ~25 min)→ Ani Gondola base station. Trains on the line are not frequent, so fix your train first and book the shuttle to meet it.
Back down to Aniai: Ride the gondola down, return to Aniai Station by shuttle taxi or taxi, and take the Akita Nairiku Line back to Kakunodate. Trains are few, so plan backwards from the train you want to catch.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Mount Moriyoshi rises to 1,454 metres in the middle of Akita Prefecture, and from about 1,000 metres up its slopes are covered in a native forest of Aomori todomatsu fir. In winter, strong north-westerly winds carry supercooled droplets that freeze the moment they strike the needles, and snow settles on top. Layer by layer the trees turn into juhyo, the so-called snow monsters. The Ani Gondola climbs from the ski area on the mountain's south-west side to a summit station, and the juhyo field, Juhyo-daira, lies just beyond it.

How to enjoy it

The juhyo season runs from early January to early March. The gondola ride takes about 20 minutes, and from the summit station it is about 5 minutes on foot to Juhyo-daira. Their shape depends on cold and wind, so check conditions with the ski resort before you set out.

Background & history

Moriyoshi is an old volcano with no eruption on record, and people in the area have long called it Akita-yama. The Edo-period traveller Sugae Masumi climbed it and wrote down local stories, among them a giant said to live on the Yamahito-daira meadow. In summer the ridge turns into a field of alpine flowers, and the mountain is listed among Japan's 100 Flower Mountains. The mountain and its surroundings are protected as a prefectural natural park.

Before you go

Cash: The gondola charges a fare, and it has changed between seasons, so check the current price with the ski resort. The shuttle taxi is booked online in advance. During the juhyo season the resort lends boots, snowshoes and poles at the summit station free of charge.
Good to know: The juhyo form only in midwinter and depend on the weather: in a warm spell, fog or high wind they may be thin or out of sight, and bad weather can change the gondola's hours or stop it. Stay inside the roped area of Juhyo-daira; anyone going beyond it must file a climbing notice first. The shuttle taxi cannot be booked for days when the gondola is not running.
Another way: From the north, take the JR Ou Line to Takanosu and change to the Akita Nairiku Line south to Aniai. The shuttle taxi service also runs from Takanosu Station and Odate-Noshiro Airport straight to the ski area.
After you get off: The shuttle taxi picks you up at Aniai Station for the drive of about 25 minutes to the Ani Ski Resort, where the gondola base station stands. From the summit station, Juhyo-daira is about 5 minutes on foot.