Hachimantai Plateau
A high volcanic plateau straddling Iwate and Akita, famous for the "Dragon Eye" — a crater lake that develops a circular eye-shaped opening as snow melts each June. The plateau offers hiking, skiing and vivid autumn colour.
Location
Location available to Pro members
Upgrade to ProPro Spot
Upgrade to Pro to access local tips, secret timing, and insider highlights for this spot.
Upgrade to Pro — $4.99/moLocal Tips
The Dragon's Eye — a perfectly circular snowmelt lake visible from the crater rim — appears for just 2–3 weeks in May and June. Timing varies year to year; check the Hachimantai Resort's social media for current conditions. The Aspite Line scenic drive itself is worth doing even outside the Dragon's Eye window.
Add to your AI itinerary
Let AI build a multi-day trip around this spot.
Advertisement
More in Iwate
Geibikei Gorge
A narrow limestone gorge where flat-bottomed boats are poled through approximately 2 kilometres of canyon flanked by 100-metre cliffs. The boatman sings traditional Geibikei rowing songs as herons and kingfishers fly through the gorge.
Hanamaki Onsen
A cluster of hot spring villages in the rolling hills around Hanamaki — hometown of poet and farmer Kenji Miyazawa. Ryokan here draw on centuries of spring history, surrounded by the forests Miyazawa immortalized in his stories.
Hiraizumi Chusonji Temple
The centerpiece of the UNESCO World Heritage Hiraizumi site — an 11th-century Golden Hall (Konjikido) that houses the gilded mummies of the Fujiwara lords who built a Buddhist paradise in Tohoku to rival Kyoto.