The famous Juhyo (hoarfrost-covered trees) in Japan’s Tohoku region can be found in three places. One is Mount Hakkoda Juhyo in Aomori Prefecture, followed by Zao Juhyo in Yamagata Prefecture, and then Mount Moriyoshi Juhyo (Ani Juhyo) in Akita Prefecture. Among them, Mount Hakkoda is also featured in the movie “Mount Hakkoda,” adding a touch of mystery.
Hakkoda Ropeway
To see the Juhyo, you must take the Hakkoda Ropeway.
Just buy your ticket below and you’re good to go~
This is the ticket. Round trip for adults is ￥2000 Japanese yen, one way is ￥1250 Japanese yen. Round trip for children (6-11 years old) is ￥700, one way is ￥450.
The cable car has arrived, and it looks so beautiful. This cable car travels a distance of 2459.7 meters with an elevation difference of 649.5 meters.
Because I entered the carriage too late, I didn’t get a good seat. In fact, I didn’t even have space to take out my camera… XD
After reaching the mountaintop, I only took photos of the icy conditions above the station.
This is the ice formation above the cable car.
The cable car is also filled with ice~
Juhyo (hoarfrost-covered trees) experience
Not long after, we entered indoors and the tour guide asked if we wanted to go outside for an experience while everyone was hesitant to leave the house. Well-known writer and blogger, Rou La, bravely raised their hand to volunteer for the experience. Truly a courageous individual, Rou La! So, like loyal followers behind a hero, we went outside together to experience it.
To experience the outdoors, you can simply go out and explore. However, due to the heavy snow, walking can be quite difficult. You can rent snowshoes (￥1000) from the local shops, along with trekking poles, which will make walking in the snow much easier.
Go out and experience it~ Since this is the first stop, I haven’t realized it yet, so my gloves are in the car… XD Therefore, I’m walking with this snow cane barehanded, it’s so cold~ Seriously, kids, don’t imitate, Uncle here hasn’t practiced~
As a result, it seems like the camera is not cooperating and is unable to focus on distant objects. It can only capture close-up shots. This is what they call “Juhyo.”
The height of Juhyo is not high. Usually, this kind of Juhyo formation only occurs in coniferous trees. It is not easy for common trees found on flat ground to form Juhyo phenomena.
At this time, the tour guide is explaining the formation of Juhyo. Due to limited space, I was squeezed out… XD I couldn’t capture the situation inside the Juhyo.
Since everyone wanted to take a photo, I ended up taking photos for everyone again… one after another. It felt a bit like being pranked, and there was also a camera filming beside us… XD
The following image is provided by vivi. In just a few minutes of experience, my hair turned white~
Returning indoors, I realized that the outdoor temperature was actually -13.4 degrees Celsius, higher than I had imagined. I thought it would be -20 degrees Celsius.
Getting ready to go down the mountain, this time I managed to grab a good spot where I can see Miss No. 34, who is currently scraping the ice off the windows. This is also one of the joys of riding the cable car in the snow.
Finally coming down the mountain~ It feels so warm down here~
My first experience with Mount Hakkoda Juhyo
Above is the experience of visiting Aomori Mount Hakkoda in February 2012. Due to the large number of skiers here, there is a crowd when taking the cable car, so please be careful of collisions. Additionally, the high mountains are cold, so if you plan to climb, please make sure to wear warm clothing and avoid wearing jeans or other non-insulated clothing.
In addition, I came again in 2020. This time, I had better luck. Although there was no bright sunshine, there was also no heavy snow or strong wind!
ransportation information to the Mount Hakkoda
■ Transportation information to the Hakkoda Ropeway Station:
Transportation method: Take the JR bus from Aomori Station to “Sukayu Onsen” and get off at “Hakkoda Ropeway Station” (Bus Introduction)
Travel time: Approximately 80 minutes
Fare: ¥1290 (Can use JR East Japan Rail Pass – Tohoku Region, JR Pass Nationwide Edition)
Note: Tickets can be purchased at the ticket machine in front of Aomori Station.
■ Cable car information:
Fare: one way ￥1250, round trip ￥2000
Business hours: March to early November 09:00~16:20; mid-November to February 09:00~15:40
Travel time: about 10 minutes
Interval time: about 15-20 minutes
Note: The movie “Mount Hakkoda” stars Tatsuya Nakadai and Kinya Kitaoji. It was released in 1977 and is based on the novel “Mount Hakkoda: The Desperate Struggle” by Shintaro Nitta. The film depicts the “Hakkoda Mountain Snow March Disaster” as its subject. Due to the extremely cold winter conditions on Mount Hakkoda, Tatsuya Nakadai even suffered minor frostbite on his feet during the filming of the movie.
In addition, I was disappointed that I couldn’t capture the beauty of Mount Hakkoda, so I kindly requested Aomori Prefecture to provide some stunning promotional photos for everyone to enjoy.
Reference
■ Hakkoda Ropeway
■ JR Bus Tohoku
『Original Source：https://nicklee.tw/1161/』
