Kurodake and Sounkyo in October: where autumn remains and when the lift closes
Before booking an October foliage trip to Kurodake, look at the altitude and date behind the photograph. On October 12, 2026, the operator reports that colour has finished at the summit, seventh station and fifth station, and is fading at the base. For a visit now, plan around Sounkyo’s gorge and ropeway views rather than expecting peak colour high on the mountain.
Autumn moves downhill
Sounkyo Visitor Center reported on October 1 that the colour had reached the hot-spring town. “Kurodake in October” is therefore not one uniform season.
The photographs in this article date from October 5, 2025. Compare the operator’s altitude-by-altitude foliage update with the visitor center’s field reports when deciding whether to spend more time above the town or down in the gorge.
The lift closes from October 16
The chairlift closes from October 16, 2026, for the changeover to winter operations. The ropeway is scheduled to continue, but with shorter hours: 8:00–16:00, final ascent 15:20. Through October 15 the hours are 7:00–17:00, with the final ascent at 16:20.
A route involving both rides will not work after the chairlift closes. Stay with the fifth-station views rather than treating a walk to the seventh station as an interchangeable substitute.
The operator’s October 12 notice reports snow above the fifth station and says summer hiking equipment is inadequate. The visitor center also reported snow on October 5. This is not a summit hike to begin in ordinary sightseeing clothes.
Enjoy the view without climbing higher
Kurodake Station’s rooftop Nature Terrace offers a place to look across the mountains before committing to any path. The fifth-station loop is normally described as a roughly 30-minute walk; snow, ice and local closures determine how much of it makes sense on the day.
Use the fifth-station toilets before going farther. The operator lists none at the chairlift stations or seventh station. Boarding lifts are available for passengers needing assistance, but the station buildings have no elevators and wheelchair access covers only part of the paths. Discuss individual access needs with the operator beforehand.
Leave some time below the ropeway too. A slower look around the onsen town and Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Shrine gives the day another focus if the upper walking routes are unsuitable.
Keep the bus home separate from the last ropeway
The operator lists a bus journey of about 30 minutes from Kamikawa Station to Sounkyo, followed by roughly five minutes on foot to the ropeway. Choose a Kamikawa-bound return from the current Dohoku Bus timetable, then allow time for the onward train. Ropeway closing time is not a bus connection.
An adult ropeway return costs ¥3,000. Ask for a ticket matching the rides operating on your travel date rather than budgeting for a closed chairlift. The ropeway itself has scheduled maintenance closure from November 9 to 30.
Also considering Asahidake and Sugatami Pond in October? They belong to the same mountain region, but their transport and operating calendars need separate plans.
Official information
Information checked: October 12, 2026.
