Beyond a winding mountain road stretches a vast, rugged landscape, where golden grasses sway among weathered rocks.
The Bandai-Azuma Skyline is a scenic mountain road that runs for approximately 29 kilometers along the eastern slopes of the Azuma mountain range. It connects Takayu Onsen, a hot spring resort in Fukushima City, with Tsuchiyu Pass.
The Bandai-Azuma Skyline winds through the stark landscape around Jododaira.
Around Jododaira, roughly halfway along the route, the scenery takes on an almost otherworldly appearance. Some visitors say it resembles the American Southwest, particularly the landscapes of Arizona and the Grand Canyon.
Yasuhiro Kikuchi of the Jododaira Visitor Center explains that this unusual landscape is the result of harsh natural conditions. Strong winds and heavy snowfall in winter make it difficult for trees to grow. Volcanic gases from nearby Mount Issaikyo, an active volcano, also contribute to the sparse vegetation.
The Skyline road runs along the mountainside, protected by barriers designed to guard against falling rocks.
A Place of Spiritual Significance
In the past, mountain ascetics known as yamabushi climbed the mountain trails from the foothills.
The name Jododaira, meaning “Pure Land Plateau,” is said to reflect the feelings of those who, after a strenuous climb, reached a place where alpine flowers bloomed in abundance. The sight reminded them of the Buddhist paradise known as the Pure Land.
Mount Azuma-Kofuji, an easy hike from the Jododaira parking lot.
Mount Azuma-Kofuji, seen beyond the Jododaira parking lot, is easily accessible on foot, with steps provided along part of the trail.
The Bandai-Azuma Skyline opened in 1959 as Japan’s first toll road developed specifically for mountain tourism. Near the Jododaira parking area, visitors can explore Mount Azuma-Kofuji, which rises 1,707 meters above sea level, as well as a nearby marshland crossed by wooden boardwalks. Today, the area attracts around 350,000 visitors a year.
“Sometimes, it looks less like a foreign country and more like another planet—perhaps Mars,” Kikuchi says.
Volcanic gases rise from the crater of Mount Issaikyo.
With its enormous volcanic crater at Mount Azuma-Kofuji and the steady plumes of volcanic gas rising from Mount Issaikyo, the landscape has an almost extraterrestrial feel.
A Different View with Every Season
Kyūya Fukada, the celebrated mountaineering writer best known for his book One Hundred Famous Japanese Mountains, once described the Azuma mountains this way: “Their scenic beauty is extraordinarily rich, yet it is not easy to explore it all.”
Jododaira Marsh is just a short walk from the parking area, with well-maintained wooden boardwalks making it easy to explore.
Indeed, the scenery never grows old. It is constantly changing with the seasons, the weather and the time of day, revealing a different face with every visit.
Watch scenes from a drive along the Bandai-Azuma Skyline.
When I visited in late autumn, the sound of a car engine carried across the landscape from a distant stretch of road before gradually fading into the silence.
The brilliant autumn colors had already come and gone. The mountains were now settling into the long, quiet winter ahead.
A rainbow appeared as the rain stopped and sunlight broke through during filming.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: Kazuya Kamogawa, The Sankei Shimbun
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