Kita-dake

北岳きただけKita-dake

The second-highest summit in Japan, crown of the Southern Alps and home of the Kitadakesō.

Kita-dake (北岳) is Japan's second-highest mountain at 3,193 m, the northern summit of the Shirane range in the Southern Alps of Yamanashi Prefecture. It is known for its great east-face Buttress and for alpine flowers found nowhere else, above all the Kitadakesō.

Elevation: 3,193 mNational park · 1964100 Famous Mountains

National park: Minami Alps National Park

Overview

Kita-dake stands at the northern end of the Shirane Sanzan, the three Shirane peaks of the Southern Alps: Kita-dake, Aino-dake and Nōtori-dake. Its name simply means "north peak", yet at 3,193 m it is the highest point in Japan after Fuji and, on clear days, the two mountains face each other across the Kōfu basin.

The mountain is steep and pyramidal. Its eastern flank drops into the Ōkanba-zawa valley, above which rises the Kita-dake Buttress, a 600 m rock face that has been one of Japan's classic alpine climbing objectives since the 1920s. The ordinary routes, by contrast, are long but technically straightforward walks through forest, flower meadows and rocky ridges.

Kita-dake lies in Minami Alps National Park, and the wider Southern Alps area was recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2014.

Landscape and formation

Unlike Fuji or the volcanoes of the north, Kita-dake is built of old marine sediments – sandstone, chert and limestone – scraped off the ocean floor and piled up at a subduction zone, then pushed upwards along the Itoigawa–Shizuoka Tectonic Line to the west of the Fossa Magna. The Southern Alps are still rising by around 4 mm a year, among the fastest uplift rates recorded anywhere.

Glaciers of the last ice age carved small cirques below the summit. The steep terrain, heavy rain and rapid uplift keep erosion strong, producing deep gorges such as those of the Noro and Hayakawa rivers and broad scree fans on the valley floors.

Highlights

Kita-dake Buttress
北岳バットレスKita-dake battoresu
The great east face, about 600 m high, often counted among Japan's three great rock walls, and a classic multi-pitch alpine climb.
Aino-dake
間ノ岳Aino-dake
The broad 3,190 m neighbour to the south, on the Yamanashi–Shizuoka border, reached along an airy ridge in about three hours.
Kusasuberi
草すべりKusasuberi
A steep grassy slope on the ascent from Hirogawara, famous for its summer flower meadows.
Kitadake Katanokoya area
The rocky shoulder below the summit with the Katanokoya hut, one of the best places to see the Southern Alps' endemic flowers.

Ecology

Limestone outcrops near the summit create unusual alkaline soils, which is why Kita-dake has a concentration of rare and endemic plants. Above the treeline, around 2,600 m, Siberian dwarf pine and alpine meadows replace fir and birch forest. Over-grazing by sika deer, which have moved into the high meadows since the 1990s, is a serious conservation issue, and fences protect some flower fields.

Flora

Kitadakesō
キタダケソウkitadakesō
Callianthemum hondoense, a white flower endemic to Kita-dake's limestone slopes, blooming in early summer.
Kitadake-kinpōge
キタダケキンポウゲkitadake-kinpōge
A yellow buttercup, likewise restricted to Kita-dake.
Siberian dwarf pine
ハイマツhaimatsu
The dense creeping pine that covers the ridges above the treeline.

Fauna

Rock ptarmigan
ライチョウraichō
The Southern Alps hold the southernmost ptarmigan population in the world; numbers around Kita-dake have fallen and are monitored.
Sika deer
ニホンジカnihonjika
Increasingly common in the subalpine belt, where grazing threatens flower meadows.
Japanese serow
カモシカkamoshika
Seen on rocky slopes in the forest belt.

Culture

The Shirane peaks were long known from the Kōfu basin as the "white peaks" (shirane) that kept their snow late into spring. Kita-dake had no major shrine or pilgrim tradition comparable to Fuji or Ontake; its fame is modern and alpine. In the early twentieth century it was explored by members of the Japanese Alpine Club, and the Buttress became a proving ground for Japanese rock climbers.

Hirogawara
広河原Hirogawara
The trailhead on the Noro river at about 1,500 m, with a lodge and the Minami Alps' main visitor gateway.
Kitadake-sansō
北岳山荘Kitadake-sansō
A large hut on the ridge south of the summit, base for the traverse to Aino-dake.

History

1920s
Climbers of the Japanese Alpine Club open the first routes on the Kita-dake Buttress.
1964
Minami Alps National Park is designated.
2014
The Southern Alps are recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Through the seasons

Spring

Deep snow covers the mountain into June and the approach road stays closed; only experienced ski mountaineers are active.

Summer

The main season, from the late-June opening of the Hirogawara road to early autumn. The Kitadakesō blooms in late June and early July, the flower meadows peak in July.

Autumn

Larch and birch turn gold and red in late September and early October; huts close in early November.

Winter

Access roads are closed and the approach adds a full day's walk; winter ascents are serious undertakings for experienced alpinists only.

Routes and trails

Hirogawara – Shirane-oike – Kita-dake
The standard ascent via the Ōkanba-zawa or the Shirane-oike hut, about 5–6 hours up with some 1,700 m of height gain; moderate, long and steep in places.
Kusasuberi route
A steep variant through the flower slopes to the ridge north of the summit, similar in time; popular in July.
Shirane Sanzan traverse
From Kita-dake south over Aino-dake to Nōtori-dake and down to Narada, usually two to three days with hut nights; a classic ridge walk above 3,000 m.
Yashajin-tōge approach
A longer, quieter approach from the Yashajin pass via Kaikoma-ga-take views, for those combining several peaks.

Practical notes

The forest road to Hirogawara is closed to private vehicles; buses and shared taxis run from Kōfu and the Ashiyasu car park during the season. Check the operators and Yamanashi Prefecture for current arrangements.
Huts on the mountain generally require advance reservation; camping is permitted only at designated sites.
Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August; start early and be off exposed ridges by early afternoon.
Picking plants is prohibited throughout the national park; stay on the trail near the Kitadakesō habitats.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kita-dake really the second-highest mountain in Japan?

Yes. With 3,193 m it is second only to Mount Fuji. Okuhotaka-dake and Aino-dake, both 3,190 m, share third place.

How long does it take to climb Kita-dake?

From the Hirogawara trailhead the ascent takes about five to six hours, so most walkers stay a night at a mountain hut near the summit and descend the next day.

What is the Kitadakesō?

A small white buttercup-family flower, Callianthemum hondoense, that grows only on the limestone slopes of Kita-dake. It blooms in late June and early July and is strictly protected.

How is the trailhead reached?

Hirogawara is reached by bus from Kōfu or from the Ashiyasu side; the forest road is closed to private cars, which park at Narada or Ashiyasu and transfer to buses or taxis during the season.

Sources

1.日本の主な山岳標高 (opens in a new tab) — 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)
2.南アルプス国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
3.山梨県公式ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 山梨県 (Yamanashi Prefecture)