Mt. Naeba 苗場山

With a mighty height of 2,145 meters, Mt. Naeba in the Echigo Yuzawa region of Niigata Prefecture stands as a central hub for hiking, skiing, and rock music lovers. The four-square-kilometer alpine park on the top of the mountain is many people's favorite.

The eastern outskirts of Mt. Naeba are home to several stellar ski resorts. These include Naeba and Kagura-mitsumata. Naeba Ski Resort is one of the largest and has a variety of runs at varying levels.

To hype things up even more, Naeba Ski Resort holds Japan's most famous annual rock music festival—The Fuji Rock Festival —in late July/early August. When you're there, don't forget to take the Dragondola—the longest gondola in the world to Tashiro Kogen (1,346 meters) for a panoramic view of the festival site.

Near the ski resorts are several authentic Japanese-style hot springs such as Kaikake—whose history dates back some 700 years—and Akayu, lit largely by oil lamps.

There is an old hideout area called the Akiyamago area on the western outskirts of Mt. Naeba. It is believed that back in the 12th century, soldiers who had lost battles against the Kamakura Shogunate resided in the Akiyamago area. The 12 villages of Akiyamago are scattered over the mountain, with lots of trees sheltering them from heavy snow.