National Parks · Yamanashi, Nagano, Shizuoka

Minami Alps National Park

南アルプス国立公園みなみあるぷすこくりつこうえんMinami Arupusu Kokuritsu Kōen

Japan's highest non-volcanic range, deep and remote

Minami Alps National Park protects the high ridges of the Akaishi Mountains, Japan's Southern Alps, on the borders of Yamanashi, Nagano and Shizuoka. Designated in 1964, it contains Kita-dake, at 3,193 m the country's second-highest peak, and more 3,000 m summits than any other range in Japan, reached only on foot over long approaches.

Elevation: 3,193 mArea: 357.52 km²National park · 1964Japanese Geopark · 2008

Overview

The park covers the main ridges of the Akaishi Mountains, which run north to south for about 120 km between the Kōfu basin and the Ina valley. Their northern part holds the three Shirane peaks, Kita-dake, Aino-dake and Nōtori-dake, together with Kai-Komagatake, Senjō-ga-take and the Hōō Sanzan; the southern part includes Shiomi-dake, Warusawa-dake, Akaishi-dake and Hijiri-dake, the southernmost 3,000 m peak in Japan.

The national park, designated in 1964, protects mostly the high ground above the forests. Below, the deep valleys of the Nojiri, Ōi and Hayakawa rivers are heavily forested and sparsely inhabited. There are no cable cars or high roads; access is by bus to trailheads and then on foot, which keeps the range quiet compared with the Northern Alps.

The Southern Alps are also recognised as a UNESCO biosphere reserve (2014) and a Japanese Geopark, reflecting their value as a place where tectonic uplift, deep erosion and a rich mountain ecosystem can be studied together.

Landscape and formation

Unlike most high mountains in Japan, the Akaishi Mountains are not volcanic. They are built of accretionary complex rocks, sandstone, mudstone, chert and greenstone scraped off the ocean floor, and of the granite of Kai-Komagatake. They lie between two of Japan's great faults, the Median Tectonic Line to the west and the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line to the east, and are being pushed upward by the collision of the Izu block with Honshu.

During the Ice Ages, small glaciers carved cirques under the highest ridges, of which the Yabusawa cirque on Senjō-ga-take is the finest. Rapid uplift and heavy rain give the range steep slopes, deep V-shaped valleys and huge landslide scars, such as the Ōya-kuzure landslide at the head of the Abe River just south of the park.

Highlights

Kita-dake
北岳Kita-dake
Japan's second-highest peak (3,193 m), with the great rock face of the Kita-dake Buttress and the endemic Kitadake-sō on its slopes.
Aino-dake and Nōtori-dake
間ノ岳・農鳥岳Aino-dake, Nōtori-dake
With Kita-dake, the Shirane Sanzan; Aino-dake (3,190 m) shares third place among Japan's peaks.
Kai-Komagatake
甲斐駒ヶ岳Kai-Komagatake
A 2,967 m pyramid of white granite, climbed by the steep Kuroto ridge, one of Japan's hardest classic routes.
Senjō-ga-take
仙丈ヶ岳Senjō-ga-take
A 3,033 m peak with graceful glacial cirques, known as the 'Queen of the Southern Alps'.
Hōō Sanzan
鳳凰三山Hōō Sanzan
Three granite peaks, Jizō-dake, Kannon-dake and Yakushi-dake, with the obelisk rock on Jizō-dake.
Akaishi-dake and Warusawa-dake
赤石岳・悪沢岳Akaishi-dake, Warusawa-dake
Massive southern peaks of 3,121 m and 3,141 m, reached on long routes from the Shizuoka side.
Hijiri-dake
聖岳Hijiri-dake
At 3,013 m, the southernmost peak above 3,000 m in Japan.

Nature

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

Ecology

The range spans broadleaf forest in the valleys, dense subalpine forests of Veitch's fir and hemlock, a dwarf-pine belt and alpine meadows. Because the mountains lie far south for a high range, many alpine species reach their southern limit here: the rock ptarmigan's southernmost population in the world lives around Tekari-dake, and the dwarf pine reaches its southern limit on the same peak.

Several plants are endemic, most famously the Kitadake-sō on the limestone of Kita-dake and the Hōō-shajin bellflower of the Hōō Sanzan. Since the 1990s, sika deer have climbed into the alpine zone and grazed down many flower meadows; fences now protect key areas on Senjō-ga-take and Kita-dake.

Flora

Kitadake-sō
キタダケソウKitadake-sō
A white buttercup relative found only on Kita-dake, flowering soon after snowmelt.
Hōō-shajin
ホウオウシャジンHōō-shajin
A small bellflower growing only on the granite cliffs of the Hōō Sanzan.
Dwarf pine
ハイマツhaimatsu
The creeping pine of the alpine zone, reaching its southernmost occurrence in the world on Tekari-dake.
Subalpine conifer forest
Veitch's fir, Maries' fir and Japanese hemlock forests covering the high slopes.

Fauna

Rock ptarmigan
ライチョウraichō
A Special Natural Monument; declining here, it is protected with predator control and chick-rearing enclosures on Kita-dake and nearby peaks.
Japanese serow
ニホンカモシカnihon-kamoshika
Common on the forested slopes and occasionally on the ridges.
Japanese macaque
ニホンザルnihonzaru
Troops sometimes forage up to the alpine zone.
Golden eagle
イヌワシinuwashi
Hunts over the high ridges.
Miyama-shirochō
ミヤマシロチョウMiyama-shirochō
A white alpine butterfly of central Honshu's high mountains, now rare.

Culture

The mountains were long remote from everyday life, but Kai-Komagatake was a sacred peak: in the early 19th century the ascetic Enkan Shōnin opened the Kuroto ridge route, and stone statues and shrines still line it. The Shirane peaks, visible from the Kōfu basin, were known as the 'white mountains' for their long-lasting snow.

The forests of the Ōi River headwaters on the Shizuoka side have been managed for timber since the Edo period, and much of that land remains a large private forest estate. Modern mountaineering came in the Meiji and Taishō eras, and a network of mountain huts now allows long traverses. Local towns celebrate the mountains through events such as the opening of the climbing season on Kita-dake.

Komagatake Shrine
駒ヶ岳神社Komagatake-jinja
Shrines at the foot and on the summit of Kai-Komagatake, starting point of the Kuroto ridge pilgrimage.
Hirogawara
広河原Hirogawara
The main trailhead in the Nojiri River valley, with a small information centre and lodge.
Kitazawa Pass
北沢峠Kitazawa-tōge
A 2,032 m pass reached by bus from the Nagano and Yamanashi sides, base for Kai-Komagatake and Senjō-ga-take.

History

Early 19th century
Enkan Shōnin opens the Kuroto ridge pilgrimage route on Kai-Komagatake.
Meiji–Taishō eras
Surveyors and early mountaineers explore the main ridges.
1964
Minami Alps National Park is designated on 1 June.
2008
The Minami Alps area is recognised as one of Japan's first Geoparks.
2014
The Southern Alps are designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

Through the seasons

Spring

The high ridges remain under snow into June; access roads open from late spring.

Summer

The climbing season from late June to October, with alpine flowers peaking in July; afternoon thunderstorms are common.

Autumn

Colours descend from the ridges in late September through the forested valleys in October; huts close from mid-October.

Winter

Access roads close and the range becomes a serious winter mountaineering objective with deep snow and strong winds.

Routes and trails

Kita-dake from Hirogawara
A steep climb via the Daikanba ridge or the Kusasuberi route, usually with a night at Kita-dake Katanokoya or Kita-dake-sansō.
Shirane Sanzan traverse
A classic two- to three-day ridge route over Kita-dake, Aino-dake and Nōtori-dake, descending to Narada.
Kai-Komagatake and Senjō-ga-take from Kitazawa Pass
Two popular summits, each reachable in a day from the pass.
Kuroto ridge
A long, steep pilgrim route from the Chikuu Komagatake Shrine to the summit of Kai-Komagatake, with about 2,200 m of ascent.
Southern Alps grand traverse
A multi-day route from Shiomi-dake over Warusawa-dake, Akaishi-dake and Hijiri-dake, approached from the Ōi River headwaters.

Practical notes

Kōfu (JR Chūō Line) is the gateway to Hirogawara; the Nagano side is reached from Ina-shi and Takatō; the Shizuoka side via long forest roads along the Ōi River.
Private cars are banned on the approach roads to Hirogawara and Kitazawa Pass; use the seasonal buses and taxis.
Routes are long and exposed, with thunderstorms common on summer afternoons; mountain huts should be booked in advance.
Do not approach or feed ptarmigan; keep to trails to protect fenced flower meadows.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Southern Alps?

The Akaishi Mountains, the southernmost of the three Japanese Alps. The name 'Japanese Alps' was popularised by the English missionary Walter Weston; the Southern Alps lie south of the Chūō Alps (Kiso Mountains) and the Northern Alps (Hida Mountains).

How do you reach Kita-dake?

Buses run in summer from Kōfu to Hirogawara, the main trailhead on the Yamanashi side; private cars are not allowed on the last section of the road. From Hirogawara the summit is a steep climb of about 1,700 m, usually done with a night in a mountain hut.

Why is the range so remote?

Unlike the Northern Alps, the Southern Alps have no ropeways, few roads and long valley approaches. The main ridges are traversed over several days from hut to hut, and the southern peaks require especially long trips.

Are the mountains still rising?

Yes. Squeezed by the collision of the Izu Peninsula and the Philippine Sea plate with Honshu, the Akaishi Mountains are among the fastest-rising mountains in Japan, by several millimetres a year, while erosion removes rock almost as fast.

What is the Kitadake-sō?

A small white-flowered plant that grows only on the limestone slopes near the summit of Kita-dake. It flowers in late June and early July, and deer grazing and climate change threaten its habitat.

Sources

1.南アルプス国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省
2.国立公園の概要 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省
3.Minami Alps National Park (opens in a new tab) — Ministry of the Environment, Japan
4.日本ジオパークネットワーク (opens in a new tab) — 日本ジオパークネットワーク