Six of Japan's Best Scenic Roads: 2026 Winter Closures, Access and Parking Compared

All six roads here are mountain roads that Taka, who runs this site, has driven. Five of them close for winter one after another from November. In 2026, the Bandai-Azuma Skyline has been closed at night since 29 October, the Shibu Pass closes at 13:00 on 11 November, the Bandai-Azuma Skyline closes for winter at 17:00 on 13 November, and part of the Venus Line closes at 11:00 on 18 November. The Hachimantai Aspite Line usually closes between late October and early November.

This page compares the six roads by length and height, 2026–27 winter closures, distance from the expressway and parking, then describes each one. To drive one this year, plan from the road that closes first.

Six roads and when you can drive them this year

Even before winter closures begin, snow, icy roads or volcanic gas can close these roads. Our winter road closures calendar lists closing dates for other mountain roads.

Compare access and parking

The six roads, one by one

Venus Line: 75km across upland grassland

This road runs 75.2km from the town of Chino past Lake Shirakaba and Kirigamine to the Utsukushigahara Plateau in Matsumoto. Autumn colour starts at about 2,000m on Utsukushigahara and usually peaks from early to mid-October. In summer, Nikko day lilies bloom from early to late July.

Taka's note: "Grassland spreading across the plateau."

In winter, the sections from Yashima Kogen Car Park to Wada Pass and from Wada Pass to the junction with the old Route 142 are closed from 11:00 on 18 November 2026 to 11:00 on 20 April 2027. Part of the Utsukushigahara Park Higashimochiya Line, which climbs to Utsukushigahara, closes for the same period. Our Venus Line model course covers the order of stops and parking.

Bandai-Azuma Skyline: threading volcanic slopes

This 28.7km road runs from the former Takayu Gate in Fukushima City to the former Tsuchiyu Gate, passing Jododaira. Its average elevation is 1,350m and its highest point 1,622m, and it takes about an hour to drive through.

Taka's note: "A volcanic landscape that smells of sulphur."

If volcanic gas exceeds the standard at a point 12.8km from Takayu Gate, the section from Jododaira to Fudosawa closes. In 2026 it is closed at night, 17:00–08:00 daily, from 29 October to 08:00 on 13 November, then for winter from 17:00 on 13 November. Bad weather can bring these dates forward or close it all day, and winter tyres are recommended near Jododaira. It reopened at 10:00 on 21 April in spring 2026. Our Urabandai and Bandai drive covers Jododaira and Mt Azuma-kofuji.

Hachimantai Aspite Line: a ridge road linking Iwate and Akita

This road of about 27km crosses Hachimantai from Iwate into Akita. Just after it opens in mid-April, you can drive the "snow corridor", with several metres of snow on both sides of the road.

Taka's note: "Straight along the upland ridge."

The Hachimantai Aspite Line and the Hachimantai Jukai Line are fully closed through winter until around mid-April. The start is given as both late October and early November, so check before you go. Before closing, from mid-October to early November, they are closed from 17:00 to 08:30. To drive it this year, you are limited to daytime hours until it closes.

Shikoku Karst: an east–west upland above 1,000m

On the border of Ehime and Kochi, an upland at 1,000–1,500m runs about 25km from east to west. "Tengu no Mori" in Tengu-kogen is 1,485m above sea level.

Taka's note: "A ridge road lined with wind turbines."

Prefectural Road 383 (14.8km), which crosses the upland, closes along its whole length in winter. Dates for fiscal 2026 had not been announced as of 1 November. Last winter it closed from 10:00 on 5 December 2025 to 11:00 on 18 March 2026, and over the seven years since fiscal 2019 the earliest closure was 24 November. Only the main forest road on the Kochi side (Higashitsuno–Shirokawa Line) has two lanes all the way to Shikoku Karst; other routes have narrow places where passing is difficult.

Prefectural Road 36, on the route from the Matsuyama side to Himetsuru-daira, has timed closures for roadworks until 22 January 2027. If you are in a hurry, use the forest road to Tengu-kogen or a route from the Kochi side. Our Shikoku Karst drive covers the order of stops and which road to use.

Shibu Pass: beside the highest point on Japan's national roads

This pass on Route 292 (the Shiga–Kusatsu Road) sits on the border of Gunma and Nagano. The highest point on any national road is at 2,172m, just inside Gunma from the pass.

Taka's note: "Climbing through autumn mountains to the pass."

In winter, the 17.9km from Tenguyama Gate to Shibu Pass on the Gunma side and the 5.2km from Shibu Pass to Yosaka on the Nagano side close from 13:00 on 11 November 2026 to 10:00 on 21 April 2027 (scheduled). Snow can close the road before this date. Our Shiga–Kusatsu Road model course has details of Mt Shirane restrictions and parking.

Mt Aso: the Panorama Line through grassland beside a volcano

The Aso Panorama Line is the combined name for the Bochu Line on the Aso Station side, the Yoshida Line on the Minamiaso side and the Akamizu Line on the west side, about 37km in all. The Bochu Line crosses Kusasenri-ga-hama.

Taka's note: "There were horses on Kusasenri-ga-hama and Mt Eboshi, and they were so cute."

Kusasenri-ga-hama is a crater site from about 30,000 years ago, at an elevation of about 1,140m. It has a grassy plain about 1km across and a pond where water collects in the crater. The best time is summer, when the grass turns green, and the snowy winter landscape is also striking.

Mt Aso has been at volcanic alert level 2 since 1 September 2026, with no entry within about 1km of Nakadake's first crater. The Aso-san Park Road up to the crater is closed, and crater visits are not possible. You can drive as far as Kusasenri-ga-hama and the summit plaza. A survey on 28 October found volcanic gas (sulphur dioxide) at 2,700 tonnes a day, up from 1,500 tonnes on the 27th. Winter brings ice and snow, so carry winter tyres or chains. Our Aso drive covers the area.

Checks before you drive

Drive one or two roads on one trip

The six roads range from Tohoku to Kumamoto in Kyushu. Even the two in Tohoku, the Bandai-Azuma Skyline and the Hachimantai Aspite Line, are in Fukushima and in Iwate and Akita. Drive one or two on a trip and stay nearby, so you have time left for the scenery.

Check road information on the morning of your drive

All six are mountain roads, so night closures, volcanic gas, snow or ice can close them even before the winter closure. On the morning you go, check the road restrictions page of the prefecture that manages the road. For the mountains in November, a car with winter tyres is the safer choice.

Do not get caught in the dark up in the mountains

Days get shorter in autumn. Work back from your return time and fix when you will start down the mountain, so that you get down before dark.

If you don't have a car

You can rent near an airport or station and drive from there. Starting points are stations in Nagano Prefecture for the Venus Line and Shibu Pass, Matsuyama or Kochi Airport for Shikoku Karst, and Kumamoto Airport for Mt Aso. Whether winter tyres are fitted depends on the company and departure date, so check when you book.

• Driving in Japan: licence and IDP requirements
• Airport rental-car pickup in Japan

Related guides

• Venus Line model course
• Urabandai and Bandai drive
• Shiga–Kusatsu Road (Shibu Pass) model course
• Aso drive
• Winter road closures in Japan, 2026–2027