Japanese Alps

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Shirouma peaks (Hida Mountains)
Shirouma peaks (Hida Mountains)
Tateyama peaks (Hida Mountains)
Tateyama peaks (Hida Mountains)
Lake Hakuba
Lake Hakuba
The Kiso Mountains between Nagoya and Naoetsu
The Kiso Mountains between Nagoya and Naoetsu

The Japanese Alps is a series of mountain ranges in Japan that bisects the main island of Honshū. The name was popularized by Reverend Walter Weston (1861–1940), an English missionary for whom a memorial plaque is located at Kamikochi, a tourist destination known for its alpine climate.

The Japanese Alps encompass the Hida Mountains, the Kiso Mountains and the Akaishi Mountains. These towering ranges include several peaks exceeding 3,000 m in height, the tallest after Mount Fuji. The highest are Mount Hotaka at 3,190 m (10,466 ft) and Mount Kita at 3,193 m (10,473 ft). Mount Ontake in Nagano Prefecture (3,067 m, 10,060 ft) is a destination for pilgrimages as well as an active volcano, having erupted most recently in 1979 and 1980.

[edit] Panoramic view

Coordinates: 36°00′N, 137°00′E