
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
Kinotake Mother AI developed to study Japan’s divide between chocolate cookie snacks
Soaking in glimmering water and the essence of prehistoric plants at a Hokkaido hot spring
No, that’s not French bread, it’s Japan’s crazy-big gobo!
Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos]
Pikachu to cuddle with kimono-clad beauty on Tokyo street as part of flower art event
Cup Noodles Fried Rice: Super-easy recipe will make you a potluck or campsite hero【SoraKitchen】
Tokyo Station staff share their top 10 favorite ekiben
New hot spring found in Tokyo as 80-year-old bathhouse makes a happy discovery
Kyoto’s new Kuromi train is latest part of Sanrio star’s plan to Kuromify the world【Pics】
Japanese politicians working to promote plastic model culture as a cultural asset
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy?
Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes
Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good?
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
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
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
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】
Amazing castle photo ever shows why you shouldn’t skip this often-overlooked part of Japan