REPORT

The dog run is currently closed on weekdays while trees are being cleared for construction of the new lift, but there are still plenty of ways to enjoy Iwatake with your dog during the week. I met a couple from Saitama Prefecture, who told me, “We’ve been staying at a campground in Hakuba since yesterday. The views at Iwatake are fantastic, and there are so many places we can enjoy with our dogs. It’s a favorite for us and for these two as well (pictured).”
[Hakuba Hitotoki-no-Mori]

By around 9 a.m., the end of the terrace at HAKUBA MOUNTAIN HARBOR had emerged from the building’s shadow into the sunlight, making the surrounding fall colors and the foliage on the mountainside beyond look even more vivid. I had hoped that last night’s light rain at the base might have fallen as snow along the ridgeline, but there was no accumulation, so Iwatake’s famous “three-tiered fall colors” will have to wait a little longer.
[HAKUBA MOUNTAIN HARBOR]

Around the summit area, the reds of the maples and yama-urushi are becoming more pronounced, while beech, mizunara, and konara oak still remain predominantly green. Overall, the foliage is now around 30 to 50% of peak. Peak color along the 5-sen South lift is likely to arrive around the middle of next week into next weekend.
[5-sen South]

I met a woman from Thailand (pictured, foreground) as she filmed her mother taking on the Hakuba Giant Swing. She commented, “The fall colors really are beautiful. Our whole family is having a wonderful time in Japan!” Visitor numbers began picking up from around 9:30 a.m., and both the summit area and Hakuba Hitotoki-no-Mori were quite lively despite it being a weekday just after the end of the three-day weekend.
[Hakuba Hitotoki-no-Mori]

　　
[Hakuba Iwatake Mountain Resort – Opening Details]
＊Period … Apr 23 – Nov 15, 2026
＊Hours … 8:30–17:00
＊Fees … Admission (includes gondola and No. 5 South round-trip rides) / Adults ¥2,900, elementary school children ¥1,600, pets ¥800
＊MTB PARK fees … 1-day pass (includes gondola and No. 5 South) Adults ¥6,000, elementary school children ¥4,000
　
＊Hakuba Iwatake will be reported 1－2times a week.
＊Request for the original data of our photographs.

reported by Snownavi