
Site of the Winter Olympics shows off multiple seasons’ splendor in one shot.
Nestled in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture, Hakuba is one of Japan’s best ski resorts, which you’d expect from the venue of several events during the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. However, it’s worth a visit even if you’ve got no plans to strap on skis or a snowboard, because it’s also one of the most picturesque spots in the Japan Alps.
As proof, take a look at this photo from Japanese Twitter user @inagakiyasuto, and notice all the little points of beauty. The local train rolling past the fields of autumn rice. The steep-roofed farmhouses at the base of the mountain, and the leaves changing to their fall colors as you get up near the top of the ski jump courses.
秋に白馬村をタップするとこうなる。 pic.twitter.com/UfdgW9rQt8
— イナガキヤスト (@inagakiyasuto) November 1, 2020
But all that’s just a small portion of the dazzling scenery Hakuba has to offer…even if you’re standing in that exact spot. That’s because the cropping of the photo in @inagakiyasuto’s tweet doesn’t show the whole view without a tap-through, which reveals this:
There are actually four distinct mountain layers in the photo, and as the elevation rises, the temperature drops and the colors change. Down in town, there’s still plenty of greenery, with some color starting to appear in the foothills. Further back, the foliage is progressing towards brown, and at the deepest section of the mountains, there’s already snow packed in even far below the peak.
The gorgeous full version of the photo has online commenters saying:
“Breathtaking!”
“Hakuba has this much snow even before the start of winter?!?”
“It doesn’t get any more beautiful than being able to see snow and autumn leaves at the same time.”
“The Oito Line [the train line seen in the photo] runs through some flat sections of the Azumino Plain farther to the east, but at this part it’s one of the best alpine train routes in the world.”
Of course, Hakuba’s mountains don’t just look amazing from far away, but from up close too, as @inagakiyasuto’s photos from the Hakuba Mountain Harbor recreation area show.
白馬マウンテンハーバーの紅葉が見頃です。 pic.twitter.com/H3R8OCShcz
— イナガキヤスト (@inagakiyasuto) October 29, 2020
So again, while winter is the peak travel season for Hakuba, there’s definitely an incentive to go before the end of fall.
Source, images: Twitter/@inagakiyasuto
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!


Japan’s new giant swing is a beautiful/terrifying way to see the scenery of the Japan Alps
Flower park in northern Japan looks too beautiful to be real, but this happens every year【Photos】
We went to a beautiful “beach resort” on top of a mountain and sweated it out in a gondola sauna
Japan’s kid-friendly ski program is now selling Pikachu snowboards for a limited time only
The leaves aren’t the only things changing in this beautiful series of photos from Nagano
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Japan reacts to Donald Trump’s “Islamic Republic of Japan” remark
Japanese airport rebrands itself as “Sushi Airport” to attract foreign tourists
Studio Ghibli theme park’s new dessert is a drinkable version of Hayao Miyazaki’s pilot daydream
Hollywood live-action Naruto movie announces global search for its Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Giant Mewtwo statue disappears from real-life Pokémon Center in Japan, may be headed to America
McDonald’s Japan reveals new Pokémon collaboration range, covering McNuggets and lucky bags
Solid gold Hedorah kaiju from the Godzilla series is now available to pre-order
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
A visit to Sri Lanka’s knockoff knockoff Uniqlo (no, we didn’t stutter) to see its rare “Pikachus”
New Mt. Fuji overnight bus takes travelers from downtown Tokyo straight to the most popular hiking trail
Don’t judge this Kiki’s Delivery Service book by its cover, because it’s not actually a book!
7-Eleven Japan releases chocolate cookies that taste like freshly baked melon bread
7-Eleven Japan now has Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, but how do they taste?[Taste test]
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Internet users can’t decide on Japan’s most beautiful village, and we can totally see why
Pokémon Oasis break room coming to Japanese ski resort this winter【Photos】
“Floating” Mt Fuji and shrine gates capture the hidden beauty of Japan【Photos】
Japanese ski resort hosts awesome cosplayer-only photo shoot days in the off-season【Photos】
A trip to see the breathtaking mountain beauty of Nagano’s Kamikochi【Part 2】
Mt. Fuji gets its first snow of the season, almost a month earlier than it did last year【Photos】
Pre-dawn photo of Mt. Fuji looks almost too beautiful to be real
Amazing winter photos of university on Japan’s northern island make us want to go back to school
Amazing photos show Mt. Fuji looking just like an ukiyo-e woodblock painting
This hot springs town in Japan sets fire across a mountain every winter in a beautiful tradition
A trip to see the breathtaking mountain beauty of Nagano’s Kamikochi【Part 1】
Online image collection’s views of Japan are beautiful to look at, free to use
Come camp with us on Mt. Jinbagata, the best view you can get without breaking a sweat【SoraCamp】