Japan’s Ultimate Scenic Wonder: The Legendary Fiery Morning Glow of Tsuta Swamp

Text & Photos /Kavanah

(2016.10.25) Over the years of traveling, what I’ve come to pursue has changed — the more remote and perilous the place, the rarer and harder-to-see the scenery, the more I want to conquer it and witness it for myself. Places like the mist-enveloped Sky City, the astonishingly precarious Miracle Rock, and the dreamlike, fiery red Tsuta Swamp in Aomori Prefecture that seems otherworldly. Two years ago, after seeing photos of Tsuta Swamp online, I was truly stunned by its soul-shaking beauty... “Is there really such a beautiful place in the world!? ” It also sparked a desire in me to go and see it for myself.

The beauty of Tsuta Swamp is astounding, but seeing such a sight is equally difficult. First, you have to go at the right time. The forested hillside behind Tsuta Swamp is fresh green in spring, deep green in summer, and bare branches in winter — so to see the fiery Tsuta Swamp, you can only go during the autumn foliage season in late fall each year. But even if you arrive at Tsuta Swamp during peak foliage season, if you don’t time it right, you still won’t see its fiery beauty. Because only during the first 10 minutes to half an hour after sunrise each morning, when the light hits Tsuta Swamp, does it reveal its blazing, flame-like spectacle.

And even if you go in the right season and arrive at the best time of day, you still might not see the morning glow of Tsuta Swamp... because you also need the right “weather.” Only on clear days will there be a brilliant dawn, and only with a brilliant dawn can Tsuta Swamp be set ablaze in fiery red.

Let me summarize the conditions for seeing the “Tsuta Swamp Morning Glow.”
1. Pinpoint the peak foliage season.
2. Arrive before sunrise every day.
3. Have clear, good weather.

Condition 1: “Pinpoint the peak foliage season”

This is relatively simple. When planning my trip this year, I referred to information from experienced travelers who visited last year. I decided to challenge Tsuta Swamp on October 24th and 25th. As it turned out, the peak foliage timing this year was almost identical to last year’s. The person who took the photo last year did so on October 24th, while I captured mine on October 25th. Therefore, I recommend that those planning to visit Tsuta Swamp next year aim for between October 21st and 28th — around the end of October.

Condition 2: “Arrive before sunrise every day”

This condition may sound simple, but it’s actually far from easy. Getting to Tsuta Swamp isn’t complicated — just take a JR bus to “Tsuta Onsen” Station and walk for fifteen minutes. But you must arrive before sunrise (which varies daily; the sunrise on the day I shot was at 05:59), and the earliest you can reach Tsuta Swamp by public transport is after 8 AM — making it impossible to catch the timing. To see the morning glow via public transport, you’d have to stay overnight near Tsuta Swamp, at “Tsuta Onsen,” the day before. But Tsuta Onsen is incredibly hard to book during foliage season — scoring a room is S-level difficulty. That’s why I recommend staying at a nearby hotel and driving to Tsuta Swamp early in the morning.

Incidentally, the so-called “nearby hotels” are also tough to reserve, and I booked late (I reserved in early September), so I could only get a place in Kosaka Town, which is quite far from Tsuta Swamp. Driving from my lodging to Tsuta Swamp takes two hours one way (I later checked the map and realized that Kosaka Town is actually in Akita Prefecture). I suggest booking your accommodation early (around March or April) to avoid having to wake up at 2:30 AM and head out at 4:00 AM like I did...

Here’s Tsuta Swamp.

And here’s Kosaka Town where I stayed...

Well, when you’re determined, distance isn’t a problem.

Condition 3: Clear, good weather.

There’s no real solution — how do you predict when the weather will be nice? But here’s a tip: “Stay nearby for at least two nights.” Reserve at least two days for Tsuta Swamp — an extra day means another chance to witness the miracle of its morning glow. There are famous sights around Tsuta Swamp like Lake Towada, Oirase Gorge, Sanso Onsen, Mount Hakkoda, and the Towada Art Museum. A four-day/three-night or three-day/two-night trip in the area is highly recommended.

Our first attempt was on October 24th. The weather forecast the day before predicted rain around 3–4 AM, but clearing up by around 6 AM. Based on the forecast, we originally thought we had a great chance of seeing the legendary Tsuta Swamp morning glow.

I left Kosaka Town around 4 AM (it’s actually quite far, so I left a bit late…), picked up a friend by Lake Towada, and then headed to Tsuta Swamp together. Before departing, I could still see stars twinkling in the sky, but as we drove into Oirase Gorge, it started pouring rain, which dampened our spirits.... The rain didn’t let up on the way to Tsuta Swamp — in fact, it got heavier.

After parking at Tsuta Onsen, the lot was packed with cars. Looks like plenty of people got up early to chase Tsuta Swamp.

The entrance to Tsuta Swamp is right next to Tsuta Onsen.

Map of Tsuta Swamp and the surrounding area.

Trail leading to Tsuta Swamp. The rain hadn’t stopped along the way — looks like we wouldn’t be seeing the famous morning glow that day...

Despite the bad weather, there were still quite a few people who got up early and came to Tsuta Swamp to wait for the spectacle. Seems like we all felt equally disappointed.

This is what Tsuta Swamp looks like in heavy rain. If the weather isn’t right, or if you don’t come at the right time, this is all you’ll see. We waited over twenty minutes past sunrise, saw no sign of improvement in the weather, and decided to leave and try again the next day.

Weather forecast for the next day (2016.10.25).

Early the next morning, having learned my lesson from the previous day when I nearly missed the sunrise by leaving too late, I set out even earlier than before, departing precisely at 4:00 AM from Kobayashi Town. I arrived at Tsuta Onsen at 05:30. Before setting off that day, I looked up to see a sky full of stars—the visibility was even better than the day before. The weather remained clear all the way to Lake Towada and the Oirase Gorge, with nothing but sunny skies. It seemed this was the perfect day to witness the Tsuta Marsh sunrise glow.

After parking the car (the good weather had attracted even more visitors, and the parking lot was even fuller than the day before), we walked to the entrance of the Tsuta Marsh trail and headed toward the marsh.

It was still dark, but the sky was clear and the water surface was calm—everything was set with ideal conditions.

Sunrise time had arrived. The sky gradually brightened. As the sun slowly rose, the colors on the mountainside slowly began to change.

The sunrise that day was around 06:00 AM. Just five minutes after the sun rose, the mountainside gradually turned a fiery red under the warm hues of the morning light.

Here it comes, here it comes. This is the legendary view—the "sunrise glow and Mount Fuji reflection" at Tsuta Marsh.

Seeing such a sight made all the hard work of waking up at 4:00 AM for two consecutive mornings instantly worthwhile.

As the morning sun rose higher, the interplay of light and shadow on the mountainside slowly moved closer to that on the water’s surface, until they finally connected.

The moment the light and shadow on both the mountainside and the water merged was the most beautiful instant at Tsuta Marsh.

About half an hour after sunrise, most of the light and shadow on the water and the mountainside had joined together. This photo also shows just how clear the weather was that day—no clouds in the sky, perfectly still water.

Mission accomplished: Tsuta Marsh sunrise glow. Woohoo.

Before leaving, I took one last look at the iconic scene of the Tsuta Marsh sunrise glow... Finally achieving this goal I’d dreamed about for two years filled me with indescribable emotion.

With Tsuta Marsh captured, everyone headed back to the entrance of the Tsuta Marsh walking trail in high spirits.

Tsuta Onsen bathed in the morning sun.

The JR bus stop near Tsuta Onsen. Checking the timetable, you’ll realize that catching public transport to see the Tsuta Marsh sunrise glow is practically impossible (unless you stayed overnight beforehand).

The brilliant sunshine reflected our joyful mood.

For those who visit Tsuta Marsh on rainy or cloudy days, or arrive after 9:00 AM, you might think, “Are the photos online just fake? What I’m seeing is completely different!” Indeed, the autumn foliage at Tsuta Marsh isn’t naturally that red. The vibrant colors come from the angled sunlight of the early morning. Since good weather is hard to predict, in terms of "capturing a once-in-a-lifetime view," Tsuta Marsh could easily be ranked as "Grade A" (Taketa Castle’s sea of clouds is even more demanding—I’d rate that as "Grade S"). To catch such a spectacular sight, you need luck and constant attention to weather forecasts. A friend of my travel companion, for instance, checked the meteorological predictions, rode a motorcycle, took a boat from “Hokkaido” to “Aomori,” then rode to Tsuta Marsh after disembarking (like a scene straight out of the “D-Day landings”), and waited starting at 3:00 AM to successfully photograph the Tsuta Marsh sunrise glow.

"Fullmetal Alchemist" mentions the principle of "equivalent exchange"—to gain or achieve something, you must pay an equal price. I often think the same applies to real life. To get something, you must be prepared to sacrifice more. What is your dream? What would you be willing to give up to achieve it? If you asked me, my answer would be: “Everything.” To accomplish what I want, I’m willing to give up everything I have and never give up until I succeed. Because the fruits of success are so sweet, they’re worth devoting your life to. The greater your effort, the greater your reward. With more determination than others, you’ll see the sights you want to see and do the things you want to do.

Kavana @ Kyoto – Free Stay.
Kavana X Japan Travel Madness.