Japanese Alps

Japanese Alps
From the front, South, Central, North Alps
Highest point
PeakMount Kita[1]
Elevation3,193 m (10,476 ft)
Coordinates35°40′27″N 138°14′12″E / 35.67417°N 138.23667°E / 35.67417; 138.23667
Dimensions
Length200 km (120 mi)
Width40 km (25 mi)
Naming
Native name
Geography
Japanese Alps is located in Japan
Japanese Alps
Japanese Alps
Japan
LocationNiigata Prefecture, Toyama Prefecture, Yamanashi Prefecture, Nagano Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefecture
CountryJapan

The Japanese Alps (日本アルプス, Nihon Arupusu) is a series of mountain ranges in Japan which bisect the main island of Honshu. The peaks that tower over central Honshu have long been the object of veneration and pilgrimage. These mountains had long been exploited by local people for raw materials, including timber, fuel, fertilizer, fodder, meat, minerals, and medicines. Most visitors came to the mountain for pilgrimage, especially to the Buddhist temple and the sacred peak of Mount Tate.

The name was coined by English archaeologist William Gowland, and later popularized by Reverend Walter Weston (1861–1940), an English missionary for whom a memorial plaque is located at Kamikōchi, a tourist destination known for its alpine climate. When Gowland coined the phrase, he was only referring to the Hida Mountains, but it now also applies to the Kiso Mountains and Akaishi Mountains.[2]

Memorial plaque at Kamikōchi to Reverend Walter Weston, called the "Father of the Japanese Alps"
  1. ^ Geographical Survey Institute map 25000:1 仙丈ヶ岳 accessed online 8 April 2008.
  2. ^ "Japanese Alps | mountains, Japan".