Chubu, Japan · Mountain
An alpine valley in the Japanese Alps with crystal-clear rivers, closed to private cars.
Bus — A valley closed to private traffic, reached by shuttle bus or taxi
An iconic bridge over crystal-clear waters, with the Hotaka mountain range in the background.
Once the last bus goes, the valley empties: staying the night, whether in the 1933 imperial hotel or a simple hut, is what separates a visit from an experience.
Only those who sleep inside see it: the mist rising off Taisho Pond at daybreak and, the night before, a starry sky with no light pollution at all.
A flat trail along the river to a sacred pond surrounded by forest.
A pond with submerged dead tree trunks and the Hotaka mountain range in the background.
An active volcano with visible fumaroles, whose ascent route from Kamikochi offers the best panoramic views of the valley.
Beside Myojin Pond, a hut running since 1880 skewers iwana trout around the fire and grills them slowly with salt.
The visitor centre organises short outings with guides who explain the geology of the valley and its wildlife; there are options in English.
There are indeed onsen inside the valley and at the tunnel entrance: real mountain baths after a long day of walking.
In late September the glacial amphitheatre fills with red and yellow; it is among the most spectacular autumn colour in Japan, but it means sleeping up there.
From the head of the valley the serious routes towards Hotakadake and Yarigatake begin, the great climbs of the Japan Alps; they require a night in a mountain hut and real experience.
Japanese macaques, the elusive serow and dozens of birds are easily seen from the trails themselves along the Azusa river; keep your distance and do not feed them.
Two campsites inside the park, the cheapest way to stay the night in the valley; there is gear rental at the Konashidaira site.
A steeper trail offering close-up views of Hotaka's rocky spires.
A small Shinto shrine on the shores of Myojin Pond, dedicated to the Hotaka mountains and host to a boat festival in October.
A wide grassy clearing along the Azusa River, about a two-hour walk from Myojin Pond, popular among hikers heading to the Hotaka Alps.
Every April 27 the Shinto ceremony that officially opens the mountain season is held on Kappabashi bridge.
Annual ceremony held in early June marking the opening of the mountain season and honoring Walter Weston, who introduced the Japanese Alps to the West.
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