Hachimantai Aspite Line

A 27 km (about 16.8 mile) volcanic crossing of the Hachimantai plateau between Iwate and Akita, open from the spring Snow Corridor season to the last of the autumn koyo.

Climbing from the Matsuo side in Iwate over the shoulder of Mount Hachimantai and dropping toward National Route 341 in Akita, the Aspite Line strings together long sweepers and a handful of tighter bends across open alpine moorland. It is probably best known for the spring Snow Corridor, where ploughs cut walls said to be the longest in Japan, but the summer green and autumn koyo are arguably the better drive. The road is wide and well surfaced, so the appeal is scenery and rhythm rather than technical difficulty. It closes through winter, typically early November to mid April. Mind the seasonal gate closures, fog rolling off the crater ponds, and sightseeing buses stopping at the wetland car parks.