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Towada-Hachimantai NP, Iwate / Akita
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On a clear day, the ridge-top lookout gives you a northern Tohoku roll call: Iwate, Hayachine and Akita-Komagatake are visible, and far-off Mount Chōkai may appear too.
Mikaeri Pass lies on the Hachimantai Aspite Line, a 27-kilometre mountain road that opened as a toll road in 1970. Tolls ended in 1992, so the crossing has been free for just over 3 decades.
When the Hachimantai Aspite Line reopens after winter, snowbanks several metres high can flank the road, creating the famous spring “snow corridor” on the way to Mikaeri Pass.
The trail network by Mikaeri Pass leads to Kagami-numa, where spring snowmelt can form the “Dragon Eye.” A Taiwanese visitor’s 2016 social-media post helped popularize the nickname.
