Northern lights in Daisetsuzan tonight

Asahidake (2,291 m) is Hokkaido's highest peak. The Asahidake Ropeway reaches 1,600 m - above the tree line and above most cloud inversions that fill the lower valleys. The ropeway upper station gives an open 360° horizon with no settlement within line of sight in any direction. Bortle 2 sky throughout. The north-facing view from 1,600 m is unobstructed to the horizon over the Kamikawa basin. The ropeway operates year-round and runs into the evening for backcountry skiers, giving practical nighttime access. This is one of the highest regularly accessible observation positions in all of Japan.

Sounkyo is a steep basalt gorge on the Ishikari River's upper course, on the northern edge of Daisetsuzan. The village at the gorge base has a small hot spring and limited accommodation. Above the gorge walls, the open highland of the Daisetsuzan plateau extends in all directions. The gorge itself restricts the horizon but provides a dramatic near-vertical basalt foreground. From the plateau road above Sounkyo, a north-facing view over the Kamikawa basin gives Bortle 2-3 conditions with the gorge walls screening Asahikawa's glow to the north-west. A separate experience from the ropeway but equally dark.

Tenninkyo is a hot spring resort at the bottom of a narrow canyon on the western flank of Daisetsuzan, 8 km from the Hagoromo Waterfall. The canyon walls block horizontal light in all compass directions except a strip of sky directly above. From the open ground near the waterfall approach, the sky opens in the upstream direction (east) giving a view toward the Daisetsuzan highlands. The surrounding highland above the canyon is Bortle 2 throughout. The valley floor is dark and the road does not continue beyond the resort - no through traffic. A handful of minshuku (guesthouses) operate year-round, giving overnight access without camping.