Daisetsuzan
Daisetsuzan is the largest national park in Japan, a range of volcanic mountains in the centre of Hokkaido, crowned by Asahidake, at 2,291 metres the highest mountain on the island.
- Region
- Hokkaido
- Journeys
- One of our journeys
overview
The roof of Hokkaido: volcanoes, high meadows, and the springs at their feet.
Daisetsuzan National Park was designated in 1934 and covers some 2,270 square kilometres, larger than any other national park in Japan. It takes in several mountain groups at the centre of the island, the volcanoes around Asahidake, the Tokachi range to the south and the mountains above Lake Shikaribetsu to the east, with high plateaux between them where alpine flowers carpet the slopes.
The Ainu called these mountains Kamuimintara, the playground of the gods, and the park still feels like that: a vast, almost empty highland, where the Ishikari and Tokachi rivers begin and where the steam of fumaroles rises from the slopes. Small creatures of the north live here that are found nowhere else in Japan, among them the pika, a tiny round-eared relative of the rabbit, which calls from the rocks of the high slopes.
The high country is reached without effort. Two ropeways rise into it, from Asahidake Onsen on the west and Sounkyo on the north-east, and both end among the volcanoes, with level walks at the top. Around the edges of the park, gorges, waterfalls and onsen villages make a journey of several days, joined by car to Biei, Furano and the east of Hokkaido.
see and do
What to see in Daisetsuzan
Asahidake
The highest mountain in Hokkaido at 2,291 metres, a volcano whose western slopes steam from a line of fumaroles, visible from much of central Hokkaido.
The Asahidake Ropeway
From Asahidake Onsen at about 1,100 metres, a ropeway rises in around ten minutes to Sugatami Station at 1,600 metres, among the alpine meadows below the summit.
Sugatami Pond
A small pond at the top of the ropeway that mirrors the summit of Asahidake in still weather, reached on a level loop walk of about an hour past the fumaroles and the meadows.
Asahidake Onsen
A small onsen village in the forest at the foot of the ropeway, with a handful of inns and lodges among the trees.
Tenninkyo Gorge and Hagoromo Falls
A narrow gorge below Asahidake with a small onsen village, from which a short walk leads to Hagoromo Falls, a long white ribbon of water falling in steps down the cliff.
Sounkyo Gorge
The canyon of the Ishikari River on the north-eastern edge of the park, its cliffs of columnar rock hung with waterfalls, with an onsen village and the Kurodake Ropeway at its centre.
The Tokachi range and Shirogane
The southern mountains of the park above Biei and Furano, with the onsen village of Shirogane, the Blue Pond and Shirahige Falls at their foot.
Lake Shikaribetsu
A lake high in the forest on the eastern side of the park, at about 800 metres the highest natural lake in Hokkaido, ringed by mountains and still woods.
Taushubetsu River Bridge
A concrete arch railway bridge of the 1930s in Lake Nukabira, on the park's eastern side, left behind when the line closed, which appears and disappears as the level of the lake rises and falls.
Higashikawa
A small town at the western gateway to the park, which draws its water from the snowmelt of Daisetsuzan and is known for its photography, its furniture makers and its cafes.
experiences
The best of Daisetsuzan
The high country by ropeway
A morning on the slopes of Asahidake, carried up by ropeway to a loop walk past steaming vents, alpine flowers and the reflection of the summit in Sugatami Pond.
Onsen at the foot of the mountains
A night at an onsen ryokan on the edge of the park, in Sounkyo, Biei or the forest villages, with the mountains outside and the water rising from beneath them.
A day of gorges and falls
A slow day by private car through Sounkyo and Tenninkyo, stopping at the waterfalls and the walls of the canyons, with lunch in Higashikawa or Asahikawa.
The craft of Asahikawa
Asahikawa, below the park, is one of the great furniture-making cities of Japan, and a visit to a workshop, or to the city's sake breweries fed by Daisetsuzan water, rounds out a mountain journey.
plan your visit
Daisetsuzan on a journey through Japan
- How long to stay
- Two or three nights around the park, divided between Biei or the Asahidake side and Sounkyo, give time for both ropeways and the gorges.
- Getting there
- Asahikawa Airport, about an hour and forty minutes by air from Tokyo Haneda, is the gateway: Asahidake Onsen is about an hour away by car and Sounkyo about an hour and a half. From Sapporo, the limited express reaches Asahikawa in about ninety minutes.
journeys
Tours of Japan that include Daisetsuzan
Open a journey below for its route, its dates and its price. On dates of your own, a Custom Tour of Japan can bring you here and anywhere else in Japan you would like to go.
questions
Daisetsuzan: questions answered
How big is Daisetsuzan National Park?
About 2,270 square kilometres, the largest national park in Japan, designated in 1934 at the centre of Hokkaido.
What is the highest mountain in Daisetsuzan?
Asahidake, at 2,291 metres the highest mountain in Hokkaido, a volcano with fumaroles steaming on its western slopes.
Can you see Daisetsuzan without hiking?
Yes. The Asahidake Ropeway and the Kurodake Ropeway at Sounkyo both carry you into the high country, and each has an easy level walk at the top.
How do you get to Daisetsuzan National Park?
Fly to Asahikawa Airport, then drive about an hour to Asahidake Onsen or an hour and a half to Sounkyo. From Sapporo, take the limited express to Asahikawa in about ninety minutes.
Where should you stay to visit Daisetsuzan?
At its edges: Sounkyo for the gorge and the Kurodake Ropeway, Biei for the Tokachi range and the forest ryokan, and Asahidake Onsen for the closest stay to Asahidake.
What does Daisetsuzan mean?
Great snowy mountains. The Ainu name for the range is Kamuimintara, the playground of the gods.
Which Luxury Japan Travel journeys include Daisetsuzan?
The Wild North Tour of Hokkaido visits Daisetsuzan for the day. On dates of your own, a Custom Tour of Japan can include Daisetsuzan too.
Can Daisetsuzan be part of a private tour of Japan?
Yes. The Custom Tour of Japan is created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director, and it can go anywhere in the country, Daisetsuzan included. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans every day for you.
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Daisetsuzan, planned for you.
Tell us when you would like to travel and what draws you to Daisetsuzan, and we will answer with the journey that suits you best: one of our published tours, a journey of The Private Collection, or a Custom Tour of Japan created around your party alone.