Part 1: Artistic Autumn Journey on Local Trains - Iwate-Hachimantai Travelogue on the Hanawa Line
- Iwate
- Sightseeing
The JR Hanawa Line is one such local train line.
The JR Hanawa Line opened in October 1931, marking 90 years since its full operation.
Connecting Akita and Iwate prefectures, the line runs through highlands and crosses deep valleys, and the views from the train windows are spectacular.
Especially in autumn, visitors can not only enjoy the mountains turning red and yellow in the distance, but also be enveloped by the autumn leaves.
Although the area is known for its fine powder snow, the autumn foliage is also not to be missed.
One of the best ways to see the autumn leaves is to take a gondola tour at the Abe Kogen Resort.
The gondola takes 15 minutes from the base of the mountain to the top of Maemoriyama, which rises 1304 meters above sea level, where you can enjoy the view of the autumn leaves below.
How about such a walk in the air?
Because the trees begin to change color from higher elevations, different expressions of autumn leaves can be seen depending on the time of year and location.
Various colors are folded along the slopes of the mountains, creating a vivid gradation.
Sometimes, a fantastic sea of clouds can be seen.
When the temperature rises from night to morning, the chances of seeing a sea of clouds are at their highest.
Secondary forests are forests that originally existed in the area but were lost due to natural disasters such as typhoons or volcanic eruptions, or due to logging, and have since regenerated naturally.
At that time, saws were used to cut down the trees, and about one large tree per hectare was left behind that could not be cut down.
These trees became the parent trees, and seeds fell, germinated, and grew up all at once.
The result is a magnificent secondary beech forest that provides us with abundant water and peace of mind.
There are walking trails in the forest, allowing visitors to observe the secondary forest up close.
The forest has also been selected as one of the 100 best forests in Japan for forest bathing.