REPORT

After crossing the little bridge, the snowmelt water looked so unbelievably clear that I couldn’t resist walking over and scooping some up in my hands. “It’s incredibly cold, but it feels amazing! It looks clean enough to drink,” remarked a woman from Tokyo (pictured), who happened to dip her hands into the stream at the same time. On the way back from Hakubajiri, I found myself thinking it would be the perfect place to splash some water on my face or cool off my arms and legs.
[Sarukura to Gotenba]

After a short break at Gotenba, where the forest road comes to an end, the trail narrowed to little more than a single track. Before long, we emerged from the trees (pictured), and the vast Hakuba Daisekkei snowfield came into view. Just before reaching Hakubajiri, there was a short section where we crossed a patch of lingering snow, but with this year’s unusually rapid snowmelt, there was no need for crampons or other traction devices—ordinary trekking shoes or hiking boots were perfectly sufficient.
[Gotenba to Hakubajiri]

Hakubajiri is marked by a large boulder bearing text that roughly translates to, “Well done! Welcome to the Daisekkei.” The woman I had met at the stream and her husband (pictured) told me, “This is our first time taking part in the Teiitsu Festival. I’ve actually been to Happo for skiing before, so this is my second visit to Hakuba, but it’s my wife’s first. We left last night in a rental car and slept in the vehicle along the way.”
[Hakubajiri]

After a long rest at Hakubajiri, the participants continued climbing toward the Hakuba Daisekkei, while I started back down the trail a little ahead of them. Along the way, I spotted a host of alpine flowers, including nirin-so, sankayo, shirane-aoi, shojo-bakama, enrei-so, and several varieties of sumire. Beside one of the streams, kureson (pictured) was also in bloom. Back at Sarukura Lodge, the day concluded with a special treat for participants: tempura made with wild edible plants such as yama-seri, urui, yama-mitsuba, yama-udo, and udo-buki, along with a hearty soup.
[Gotenba to Sarukura]

[the 60th Annual Teiitsu Festival]
*Place … Hakuba Village Sarukura Parking Area
*Date … 2026/5/30 (Sat.)
*Reception … Apply in advance to Hakuba Village Tourism Bureau
*Fees … Trekking Tour JPY2,200 (Children under 12 y/o Free)　Includes round-trip bus fare, guide fee, commemorative pin, and insurance
*Directions … Shuttle bus from the Kyowa Wing Hakuba (Wing 21) parking lot to Sarukura (included in the participation fee)

*To Visitors Requesting Original Data of Our Photographs.

reported by Snownavi