Daisetsuzan National Park
Discover Daisetsuzan National Park
Daisetsuzan National Park (大雪山国立公園 Daisetsuzan-kokuritsukōen, also pronounced Taisetsuzan) is in the mountainous center of the island of Hokkaido. Formed by a large number of volcanoes which get mostly covered in snow during the winter, the Daisetsuzan is truly a land of ice and fire, with some of the most amazing landscapes of Hokkaido and Japan. At 2267.64 km², Daisetsuzan is the largest national park in Japan. The name means Great Snowy Mountains, an apt description of these peaks — 15 of them over 2000 meters — that offer some of the most rugged hiking in Japan. The Ainu name for Daisetsuzan, kamui-mintara, translates to "playground of the gods".
What to Experience in Daisetsuzan National Park
Taste of Daisetsuzan National Park...
Small eateries and snack bars can be found at the top of the Asahidake and Kurodake ropeways. There is a Seicomart and a 7-Eleven in Sounkyo with the usual assorted lunch boxes (bento). Sounkyo has also some restaurants, mostly curry or ramen shops. Most hotels inside the park provide breakfast and dinner. There is no food for sale in the hiking paths themselves, so bring your food with you. You will have to keep your trash until you come back to a city. Do not eat in forested areas in order to not attract bears. The main bases inside the national park are Sounkyo Onsen at the base of the Kuro-dake, and Asahidake Onsen at the base of the Asahi-dake. For long stays, Sounkyo is generally preferable as it gives easier access to more parts of the park, and has a much larger range of accommodation, as well as a few restaurants and supply stores. At Asahidake Onsen, note that hotels need to be booked way in advance for the autumn leaves viewing peak season. There are a few onsen hotels scattered through the national park, including Aizankei Onsen, Daisetsu Kogen Onsen (at the base of Midori-dake), Tenninkyo Onsen, Tokachidake Onsen (at the base of Tokachi-dake) and Tomarauchi Onsen (at the base of Tomarauchi-yama). Try to book them far in advance. If you are on a budget or couldn't find a hotel in peak season, an alternative is to stay outside the national park.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Daisetsuzan National Park into what it is today.
It is common to confuse the Daisetsuzan National Park with the "Daisetsuzan Mountains", which are actually the north-most of the three groups of volcanoes that compose the Daisetsuzan National Park, although undoubtedly the most famous and most visited. The southwestern group are the Tokachi Mountains and the southeastern group are the Shikaribetsu mountains. At high elevations, there is varied vegetation which is excellent for autumn leaves viewing by the second half of September, picturesque ponds and sulphur springs. At lower elevations there is lush forest, lakes, waterfalls and the autumn leaves are best viewed in the first half of October. At the base of the mountains you are likely to see several birds, deer and foxes, and bears also roam the forests of the national park, especially the Daisetsu Kogen trail. Naturally, as you go up in the mountains the number of animals decreases. The mean annual temperature observed on the top of Mt. Kurodake (1,984 m) from October 1989 to September 1990 was -2.3°C. The lowest temperature was -21.8°C in January, and the highest one was 18.7°C in July. From October to June is a harsh season, with severe cold and snowfall. The monthly mean temperature was below zero from October 1989 to April 1990, and the study area was completely under snow until early May in 1990. Winter snow usually starts disappearing in May with some snow patches remaining year round. There are no train lines within the park....
Climate
The mean annual temperature observed on the top of Mt. Kurodake (1,984 m) from October 1989 to September 1990 was -2.3°C. The lowest temperature was -21.8°C in January, and the highest one was 18.7°C in July. From October to June is a harsh season, with severe cold and snowfall. The monthly mean temperature was below zero from October 1989 to April 1990, and the study area was completely under snow until early May in 1990. Winter snow usually starts disappearing in May with some snow patches remaining year round. There are no train lines within the park. The nearest stations are Asahikawa (west), Furano (south) and Rubeshibe (east). The best way to get to the park is the 09:10 bus from the front of the Asahikawa Station to the Asahidake Ropeway (¥1300) or to Sounkyo Onsen. There is also a bus from the Kami-Furano Station to the trailheads of Tokachi-dake and Furano-dake.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThere are no train lines within the park. The nearest stations are Asahikawa (west), Furano (south) and Rubeshibe (east). The best way to get to the park is the 09:10 bus from the front of the Asahikawa Station to the Asahidake Ropeway (¥1300) or to Sounkyo Onsen. There is also a bus from the Kami-Furano Station to the trailheads of Tokachi-dake and Furano-dake. If you plan to stay at one of the onsens, enquire before travelling since some of them offer a discount for the bus, or they may even provide a shuttle bus from Asahikawa Station to the onsen. Unless you are going for multi-day hikes, it's generally better to visit the national park by car if you plan to do multiple activities during your stay there. Many attractions of the park are inaccessible by public transport (such as Ginseidai), or buses are only available during peak visitations period (such as Daisetsu Kogen). A car would also give you far more flexibility due to the low frequency of buses. There is no park entry fee....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Basically there are only two effective ways to get around the national park: by car or by hiking. There are a few buses that go to certain attractions during peak visitation periods, and some onsen hotels are also to provide bus transfers. If you don't plan to neither drive or to do multi-days hikes, it is perhaps best to base yourself in Sounkyo, which has direct access to the Kurodake, convenience stores, and a number of good walking trails. Note that the roads basically circle the national park, rather than crossing it, which means that driving distances can be quite long for places that look relatively near in a map, for example Asahidake and Kurodake. The Daisetsuzan Mountains are the most impressive and famous volcanic group of the national park, and for that reason, often confused with the national park itself. They can be described by a circle of volcanoes surrounding a vast caldera, the Ohachi caldera.
Where to Stay
The main bases inside the national park are Sounkyo Onsen at the base of the Kuro-dake, and Asahidake Onsen at the base of the Asahi-dake. For long stays, Sounkyo is generally preferable as it gives easier access to more parts of the park, and has a much larger range of accommodation, as well as a few restaurants and supply stores. At Asahidake Onsen, note that hotels need to be booked way in advance for the autumn leaves viewing peak season. There are a few onsen hotels scattered through the national park, including Aizankei Onsen, Daisetsu Kogen Onsen (at the base of Midori-dake), Tenninkyo Onsen, Tokachidake Onsen (at the base of Tokachi-dake) and Tomarauchi Onsen (at the base of Tomarauchi-yama). Try to book them far in advance. If you are on a budget or couldn't find a hotel in peak season, an alternative is to stay outside the national park.
Money & Budget
Small eateries and snack bars can be found at the top of the Asahidake and Kurodake ropeways. There is a Seicomart and a 7-Eleven in Sounkyo with the usual assorted lunch boxes (bento). Sounkyo has also some restaurants, mostly curry or ramen shops. Most hotels inside the park provide breakfast and dinner. There is no food for sale in the hiking paths themselves, so bring your food with you. You will have to keep your trash until you come back to a city. Do not eat in forested areas in order to not attract bears. The main bases inside the national park are Sounkyo Onsen at the base of the Kuro-dake, and Asahidake Onsen at the base of the Asahi-dake.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Daisetsuzan National Park
A pile of snow sitting in the middle of a forest
A person riding a snowboard down a snow covered slope
A radio tower sitting on top of a snow covered slope
A person riding skis on a snowy surface
A window with a view of a snowy mountain
A house in the middle of a snowy field
A snow covered road with houses in the background
A group of people standing on top of a snow covered slope
A street sign in the middle of a snowy forest
A black and white photo of snow covered trees
A pile of snow sitting in the middle of a forest
A person riding a snowboard down a snow covered slope
A radio tower sitting on top of a snow covered slope