Walking through the pristine waters that flow from the expansive beech forest in the Shirakami Sanchi, a World Natural Heritage Site, is a one-of-a-kind experience. Here, you are unlikely to encounter other people—but you may come across birds, fish, wild animals, and the remains of a forest railroad from long ago. You will be accompanied by a guide, so there is nothing to fear even if you are a first-time river walker. After meeting up at the Shirakami-Sanchi World Heritage Conservation Center (Fujisato-kan), we will move to the location in a vehicle. The river is crystal-clear and transparent to the bottom. You can swim in it if it is warm out. We will have lunch (included in the tour price) on the banks of the river. Enjoy a full day surrounded by untouched nature with your entire body.Please bring shoes for river walking (or sneakers that you do not mind getting completely wet. Sneakers will be wrapped in straw so that you do not slip on the slippery river bottom while walking) and a change of clothes. This activity is available in summer.

This complex is located in the Yakeyama area, the gateway to the Oirase Stream. The Oirase Keiryu Museum and Oirase Yusui Museum are adjacent to each other. Inside the Oirase Keiryu Museum, there are free exhibits about the nature of the Oirase Stream, a souvenir and local product sales area, and the “Oirase Moss Ball Workshop” where you can experience making moss balls. Meanwhile, the Oirase Yusui-kan houses a workshop space where Oirase Genryusui, Oirase's drinking water, is produced, and on the second floor is the base office of Green House, which operates various nature experience tours. This facility also provides tourist information about the Oirase Stream, so when visiting the Oirase Stream, we recommend stopping here to get various information and precautions before heading out.

Recommended accommodation here
・Oirase Keiryu Hotel by Hoshino Resorts
・Towada Hotel

Oirase Stream, designated as one of Japan's Precious Moss Forests, features a landscape where everything from trees to rocks is covered in moss. Within its deciduous broadleaf forest, a scene reminiscent of a natural moss garden unfolds. The “Moss Walk” is a small-group guided tour that explores the natural history and ecosystem of Oirase's forests through its signature mosses, allowing participants to enjoy nature's charm. The tour offers two options: a morning tour (180 minutes) for those wishing to leisurely immerse themselves in Oirase's nature, and an afternoon tour (90 minutes) for a more casual experience. Using a magnifying glass, you'll discover the beauty and diverse designs of moss, guaranteeing new discoveries and moments of wonder. Additionally, Oirase Stream is a scenic spot designated as a National Natural Monument for its beautiful mountain stream and is also famous as a popular photo spot.

The Towada Barayaki Seminar promotes community revitalization through food. Since its founding in 2008, it has served barayaki under the motto “Revitalizing Towada with Barayaki.”
The Towada Barayaki Seminar hosts “Tower Grill: Lavie en Rose” at Tsukasa Barayaki Taishu Shokudo. This event lets participants enjoy tower grilling alongside seminar members. The more people join, the taller the tower of meat becomes, creating a truly spectacular sight.

The mystical Lake Towada offers beautiful panoramic views reflecting the surrounding scenery of blue skies, verdant greens and a riot of autumnal colours on its serene surface.
Located in the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, Lake Towada is a crater lake rimmed by the crater’s mountainous edge and is the source of the Oirase Mountain Stream. The lake is 46km in circumference and has a maximum depth of 327m making it the third deepest in Japan. Crater lakes are topographic depressions formed by massive volcanic eruptions and subsequently filled with rain water over long periods of time. Come and be overwhelmed by this creation of enormous volcanic energy and its million years of history! The lake is known as the “Mystic Lake” as it never freezes during winter despite its location in Japan’s northern highlands.
The lake is surrounded by a natural grove of mainly beech trees. The seasonal scenery is enchanting with spring flowers, verdant summer greens, vibrant autumnal colours and winter woods blanketed with snow. The best time to enjoy verdant greens is from May to June while autumn leaves are at their best from mid to late October. Visitors can also enjoy canoeing and pleasure boat rides from April to November. Icicles and frozen waterfalls can be seen while enjoying a winter walk in snowshoes or snow ramblers (a kind of free-heel ski) from January to March.
Located on the Nakayama Peninsula jutting out into Lake Towada, Towada Shrine is a spiritual place worshipping the dragon god of water. Legend has it that a trainee monk who defeated a dragon was enshrined here as an incarnation of the blue dragon.
Visitors should be sure to enjoy the local specialties of kokanee salmon and pond smelt as well as some of the locally produced wines!

Recommended accommodation here
・Oirase Keiryu Hotel
・Towada Hotel

When it comes to Akita specialties, “kiritanpo” is a must-try. Kazuno City is said to be the birthplace of kiritanpo. At the Kiritanpo Museum in Roadside Station Kazuno, you can enjoy a hands-on experience making “miso-coated kiritanpo.” This involves spreading Kazuno-grown Akita Komachi rice batter just right onto kiritanpo skewers, grilling it until golden brown, then coating it with special walnut miso and grilling it again for a fragrant finish. The sweet walnut miso paired with freshly grilled kiritanpo is truly exquisite and makes for a memorable travel souvenir.

Kagami Pond is one of the crater lakes situated at the summit of Mt. Hachimantai, selected as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains (100 mountains all over Japan were selected based on character, history, and distinctiveness by writer and mountaineer Kyuya Fukada for writing a book of essays called, One Hundred Mountains of Japan (1964)).The “Dragon Eye,” which has recently gained popularity, appears when the snow melts from late May to early June.This snow-melting phenomenon is unique to Kagami Pond. It got its name, “Dragon Eye,” ever since a tourist posted on social media that the snow ring remaining at the center and the surrounding blue water look just like a dragon’s eye.　❶ Trek through remaining snow from the rest house at the summit.　❷ Trekkers will be accompanied by a climbing guide from the Japan Mountain Guides Association.　❸ During the season, reservations are accepted until 4 p.m. of the previous day.*Alpine plants in early spring:Asian skunk-cabbage (Lysichiton camtschatcensis), Oriental swamp pink (Heloniopsis orientalis), Benibana Ichigo (Rubus vernus), Japanese alpine cherry (Prunus nipponica), Albrecht’s azalea (Rhododendron albrechtii), Iwanashi (Epigaea asiatica), Threeleaf goldthread (Coptis trifolia)

Embark on an exciting tour using the latest E-Bikes! E-bikes, or in this case electronic mountain bikes, are bicycles combining the rugged capabilities of a mountain bike with a high-performance electric motor to provide motive assistance. The result is that even the roughest terrain becomes a breeze to traverse, no matter what your fitness level is! That’s the beauty of E-bikes.
This tour will take you to several must-see spots around Hachimantai, all while letting you take in gorgeous views of Mt. Iwate. These include sprawling green pastures that stack up even to Hokkaido, the scenic Panorama Line road, mystical forest paths along Mt. Iwate’s slopes, the Matsukawa Gorge, the Kanazawa Shimizu spring, the Yakehashiri Lava Flow (a specially designated natural monument), and a stop for lunch in Hachimantai’s hidden eatery in the woods, Mori-no-Italian. Your guide, certified by the Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association, will be there to support you every step of the way.
Whether it’s in the viridian green of June or the autumn gradients of October, you’ll have a great time.※Due to limitations on available bike sizes, all participants must be at least 150cm in height.※No experience with mountain biking is necessary, and participants of all fitness levels may apply.※To reserve online, please click here (Link to reservation form on official homepage)

In this winter-only menu, participants can board a Polaris ATV, which boasts the No. 1 market share in the U.S., or a Jimny, Japan's leading small 4WD vehicle, equipped with crawlers, and ride through the facility's off-road course or a vast snow field.If you choose the optional menu (the "Whole Package"), you can also add a snowmobile ride up the mountain to experience an unprecedented sense of speed as you soar through the snow and spray.