Japanese Alps and Kamikōchi

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 name was coined by William Gowland, the "Father of Japanese Archaeology", and later popularized by Reverend Walter Weston (1861–1940), an English missionary for whom a memorial plaque is located at Kamikochi, a tourist destination known for its alpine climate. When Gowland coined the phrase, however, he was only referring to the Hida Mountains.

 

Today, the Japanese Alps encompass the Hida Mountains, the Kiso Mountains and the Akaishi Mountains. These towering ranges include several peaks exceeding 3,000 m (9,843 ft) in height, the tallest after Mount Fuji.

 

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. 

 

Kamikōchi is located in the Hida Mountains, the northern part of the Japan Alps.

 

It has been designated as one of Japan's National Cultural Assets.^[1] 

 

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 (4,900 ft). 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.