Akaishi Mountains

Akaishi Mountains (赤石山脈, Akaishi Sanmyaku) is a mountain range in central Honshū, Japan, bordering Nagano, Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures. It is also called the Southern Alps (南アルプス, Minami Arupusu), as it joins with the Hida Mountains ("Northern Alps") and the Kiso Mountains ("Central Alps") to form the Japanese Alps.

"Minami-Alps" redirects here. For the city in Yamanashi Prefecture, see Minami-Alps, Yamanashi.
Akaishi Mountains
Southern Alps (南アルプス)
Akaishi Mountains ( Mount Kita and Mount Aino )
from Mount Komatsu
Highest point
PeakMount Kita
Elevation3,193 m (10,476 ft)
Listing
Coordinates35°40′16″N 138°14′31.3″E 
Dimensions
Length120 km (75 mi)
Width40 km (25 mi)
Naming
Native name赤石山脈  (Japanese)
Geography
CountryJapan
PrefecturesNagano, Yamanashi and Shizuoka
Range coordinates35°40.5′N 138°2.6′E
Parent rangeJapanese Alps

Origin of the name

There are a lot of red stones (赤石 Aka-Ishi) around the Akaishi River, a tributary of the Ōi River in the southern part of Southern Alps. Then it was said that the mountain of red stone came to be called Mount Akaishi. The mountain represents the mountain range and the name Akaishi is used for the whole range mountain range, Akaishi Mountains.[1]

Major peaks

Almost all major peaks of the Akaishi Mountains are in Minami Alps National Park that was established on June 1, 1964.[2] The range is the source of two rivers, Ōi River and Tenryū River, which flow to the Pacific Ocean.

Scenery of Akaishi Mountains seen from Mount Ena in early winter
Major Peaks of Akaishi Mountains
Image Mountain Height Note
Mt. Hōō 2,840 m (9,318 ft) 100 Famous
Mt. Nokogiri 2,685 m (8,809 ft) 200 Famous
Mt. Kaikoma 2,967 m (9,734 ft) 100 Famous
Mt. Senjō 3,033 m (9,951 ft) 100 Famous
Mt. Kita 3,193 m (10,476 ft) the highest mountain
in Akaishi Mountains
100 Famous
Mt. Aino 3,189 m (10,463 ft) 100 Famous
Mt. Nōtori 3,026 m (9,928 ft) 200 Famous
Mt. Shiomi 3,047 m (9,997 ft) 100 Famous
Mt. Warusawa 3,141 m (10,305 ft) 100 Famous
Mt. Akaishi 3,120 m (10,236 ft) 100 Famous
Mt. Hijiri 3,013 m (9,885 ft) 100 Famous
Mt. Tekari 2,591 m (8,501 ft) 100 Famous

Panorama
Yatsugatake and Akaishi Mountains from Mt.Utsugidake.

Flora and fauna

Alpine plants, such as Siberian dwarf pine can be seen above the tree line. Rock ptarmigan and spotted nutcracker also live in the alpine zone. Japanese serow and sika deer live in the forest belt on the mountain slopes. Callianthemum hondoense (北岳草, Kitadake-sō) is endemic to Mount Kita.

Walter Weston in the Japanese Alps
Weston park in Mt. Ena

Englishman Walter Weston introduced the Western world to the Japanese Alps in his book Mountaineering and Exploring in the Japanese Alps. During his visits to Japan, he climbed Akaishi Mountains. Several monuments in his memory have been set up in several places in the Japanese Alps.

He climbed the following peaks:

  • 1892 Mount Akaishi - The first non-Japanese to climb this mountain
  • 1902 Mount Kita
  • 1903 Mount Kaikoma
  • 1904 Mount Hōō and Mount Senjō
gollark: I don't think you know what "physically able" means.
gollark: Forcing people to do things is, in my opinion, to be reserved for cases where you can be *very sure* it's good.
gollark: Based on what?
gollark: Downscaling horrible bad things doesn't remove their horrible badness.
gollark: I still disagree with it.

See also

References
  1. Name dictionary of Japanese Mountain (日本山名辞典), Shōbunsya(昭文社) in 1992, ISBN 4-385-15403-1, P4
  2. Minami Alps National Park Archived 2011-03-22 at the Wayback Machine(home page of the Ministry of the Environment)

Books
  • Mountaineering and Exploring in the Japanese Alps -by Walter Weston (1896)
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