IwateTravel

Matsuo-Hachimantai Visitor Center (松尾八幡平ビジターセンター) - Hachimantai City Tourism Association

Flow of the course

Previous stop: Shop at the farmers' market, start the drive with the famous spinach soft-serve and views of Mt. Iwate

About 20 min from the previous stop

About 45 min here

About 45 min to the next stop

Next stop: Enjoy the famous Genta curry at a scenic restaurant 1,540 m above sea level, then walk the summit trail

About this spot

Located at the starting point of the Hachimantai Aspite Line, this facility offers an easy-to-understand introduction to the nature of Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Inside you'll find a 3D relief model of the Hachimantai area, exhibits on the local flora, fauna, and volcanic formation, and a video corner - an impressively rich collection for a facility with free admission. Learning in advance about the terrain the Aspite Line climbs through will make the scenery from the car window much more vivid. It's also reassuring that staff can share the latest information on summit trails, flowers in bloom, and road conditions. Nearby there's also a boardwalk trail through a wetland, so if you have time, you can experience the highland air firsthand before heading to the summit.

Tips

About 15 minutes by car from Michi-no-Eki Nishine, just before the entrance to the Aspite Line. Admission is free and parking is available. Temperatures at the summit drop considerably compared to the foothills, so it's a good idea to prepare a jacket and adjust your clothing here.