Kamikochi

Kamikōchi s 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. It is sometimes referred to as the "Japanese Yosemite," although it is considerably smaller than its American counterpart. The highlands reach an altitude of 1,500 m. The kanji (Kami-ko-uchi) were also used to write "Kamikōchi," but Kami-kō-chi has become the common way to write the name.

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 1915, which was part of the Taishō period in Japan. Kamikōchi is a high mountain valley approximately 16 kilometers in length. The average elevation of the valley floor ranges between roughly 1400 meters above sea level at the south end and roughly 1600 meters at the northern tip.

Because of the relatively flat topography, the valley has a number of marshes and ponds, including Takezawa Marsh, Tashiro Pond and Myojin Pond. As the waters are mainly from melted snow runoff or underground aquafers, the water temperature is quite cold, even in the height of summer. The Tokusawa area at the far northern end of the valley served as a grazing area for horses and cattle until 1934, when the area was completely integrated into the park.

Only by bus, either from Matsumoto or Takayama. Not as difficult as it may sound to get here. The Alpico Group runs scheduled buses to between Matsumoto - Kamikochi - Takayama. Hike and enjoy the greenery and mountain air. Enjoy one of the most spectacular mountain views Japan has to offer. There are multiple hikes (mostly flat) available from the Tourist Centre - where the busses drop you off. You can tailor your hikes according to how much time you have to spend there.