Fall Colors, Happo Pond Create Perfect Scene in Japan’s Hakuba Mountains

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:51 JST, October 11, 2025

NAGANO — Happo Pond in the Hakuba Mountains is currently adorned with fall colors in Nagano Prefecture. Red and yellow leaves, along with the pond’s blue surface, create a picturesque autumn scene with the magnificent peaks of the Northern Japanese Alps in the background.

Autumn foliage is currently at its peak around the pond, which is 2,060 meters above sea level. Visitors can expect to enjoy it through around Oct. 20, according to a local tourist information center in the village of Hakuba.

Among climbers to Happo Pond on Friday was a 78-year-old man from Nagoya, who said he visits twice a year, in spring and autumn.

“This year’s colors are particularly beautiful,” he said.