Kamikōchi

nihongo|Kamikōchi|上高地|Upper Highlands is a remote mountainous highland in the western portion of Nagano Prefecture, Japan, which has been preserved in its natural state. It has been designated as one of Japan's National Cultural Assets. [http://www.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails.asp Kamikōchi] . ja icon The Agency for Cultural Affairs. Accessed June 28, 2008.] It is sometimes referred to as the "Japanese Yosemite." The highlands reach an altitude of Convert|1500|m|ft|abbr=on. The "kanji" 神垣内 ("Kami-ko-uchi") were also used to write "Kamikōchi," but 上高地 ("Kami-kō-chi") has become the common way to write the name.

Geography

Kamikōchi is located in the Hida Mountains, the northern part of the Japan Alps. Kamikōchi is bordered on its northern end by Mount Hotaka, and on its southern end by Mount Yake, an active volcano. The Azusa River flows the length of the valley, filling Lake Taishō at the base of Mt. Yake. Lake Taishō received its name because it was formed by the eruption of Mt. Yake in the 1920s, which was part of the Taishō period in Japan.

History

The Kamikōchi area was logged very extensively until the mid-19th Century. Walter Weston, a British missionary, is credited with sparking Japanese interest in mountaineering, and also with lobbying to preserve the Kamikōchi area.

Nowadays, the facilities include two camping areas, some hotels (western-style and traditional Japanese ryokan), a post office, a tourist information center and some souvenir shops, mainly located between the bus and taxi terminal and Kappa-bashi bridge. As the entire highland is protected as part of the Chubu Sangaku National Park, access is only granted to bus, taxi and local workers' vehicles.

urrounding mountains

*Mount Hotaka
*Mount Yari
*Mount Yake
*Mount Chō
*Mount Jōnen
*Mount Kasumizawa

External links

* [http://www.kamikochi.or.jp/ Kamikōchi Official Website] ja icon
* [http://www1.neweb.ne.jp/wa/kamikochi/ Kamikōchi Visitors Center] ja icon
* [http://web-japan.org/atlas/nature/nat07.html Japan Atlas: Kamikōchi]
* [http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/nagano/kamikouchi.html Japan National Tourism Organization: Kamikōchi]

References