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Towada-Hachimantai NP, Akita
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Local lore says the snow horse behind “Komagatake” faces Iwate, with its tail toward Akita. Its droppings were imagined to fertilize Akita’s fields—giving the neighboring regions opposite harvest fortunes.
At the annual mountain opening, a safety rite is held at this 8th-station trailhead. Hikers approaching from Akita and Iwate then meet on Mt. Otake for a local tradition: exchanging ice axes and cheering together.
This trailhead doubles as a volcano observatory: the Japan Meteorological Agency lists a seismometer and tilt meter 100m below the 8th-station parking lot, plus an infrasound sensor 3m above it.
Akita-Komagatake’s alpine-plant belt became a national natural monument in 1926—30 years before the Hachimantai region joined the national park in 1956. Its designation singled out komakusa and insect-eating mushitorisumire.
The mountain’s most recent recorded magmatic eruption began at Me-dake on September 18, 1970, and continued until January 26, 1971, sending out lava and ash. This flower-trail gateway stands on an active volcano.
Although the summit reaches only 1,637m—too low for a true alpine zone—it supports a vast “pseudo-alpine” belt. Forest officials say summit effects and ongoing volcanic disturbance help maintain this unusual habitat.
Before the station opens each spring, park volunteers remove the shelter’s snow screens and cut paths through snowfields on slopes around 30° steep. In 2026, 6 members had already served for 36 years.
