Minami Alps National Park
Encyclopedia
is a national park
in the Chūbu region
, Honshū
, Japan
.
The Minami Alps National Park was established on June 1, 1964. It extends along the border of Shizuoka
, Yamanashi
and Nagano Prefecture
s for a length of 55 kilometres (34.2 mi), and a maximum width of 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) for a total area of 358 square kilometre. The Park is a very mountainous region, centering on the Akaishi Mountains
with several noted peaks of over 3000 meters in height, including Komagatake
, Senjōtake
, Akaishidake and Kitadake. The park also protects the headwaters of the Fuji River
, Ōi River
and Tenryū River
.
Flora in the park includes extensive stands of Japanese beech
, Japanese stone pine
and hemlock spruce
. The largest fauna is the kamoshika
and noted avian species include the ptarmigan. The park has minimal public facilities, and the only approach is by mountaineering
.
Other large fauna include Asiatic Black Bear
, Wild Boar and Sika Deer
.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in the Chūbu region
Chubu region
The is the central region of Honshū, Japan's main island. Chūbu has a population estimate of 21,886,324 as of 2008.Chūbu, which means "central region", encompasses nine prefectures : Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, Yamanashi, and often Mie.It is located directly...
, Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The Minami Alps National Park was established on June 1, 1964. It extends along the border of Shizuoka
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, Yamanashi
Yamanashi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...
and Nagano Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
s for a length of 55 kilometres (34.2 mi), and a maximum width of 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) for a total area of 358 square kilometre. The Park is a very mountainous region, centering on the Akaishi Mountains
Akaishi Mountains
is a mountain range in central Honshū, Japan, bordering Nagano, Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures. It is also called the , as it joins with the Hida Mountains and the Kiso Mountains to form the Japanese Alps....
with several noted peaks of over 3000 meters in height, including Komagatake
Komagatake
may refer to one of several mountains in Japan:* Hokkaidō Komagatake, an active volcano in Hokkaidō.* Kiso Komagatake, a mountain in the Central Alps of Nagano prefecture.* Hakone Komagatake, a mountain in the Hakone Mountains of Kanagawa prefecture....
, Senjōtake
Mount Senjo
is a high mountain on the border of Minami-Alps, Yamanashi, and Ina, Nagano, in Japan. This mountain is one of the major peaks of the Akaishi Mountains, and is one of the most popular peaks in the range. This mountain is also one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains.- Outline :Mount Senjō is one...
, Akaishidake and Kitadake. The park also protects the headwaters of the Fuji River
Fuji River
The is a river in Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures of central Japan. It is long and has a watershed of . With the Mogami River and the Kuma River, it is regarded as one of the three most rapid flows of Japan....
, Ōi River
Oi River
The is a river in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.-Geography:The Ōi River flows from the Akaishi Mountains, the branch of the Japanese Southern Alps which form the border between Shizuoka, Nagano and Yamanashi prefectures. These mountains, with peaks ranging from 2000–3000 meters, are characterized by...
and Tenryū River
Tenryu River
The is a river arising from Lake Suwa in Okaya, Nagano Prefecture, grazing Aichi Prefecture and flowing through western Shizuoka Prefecture in central Honshū, Japan. With a length of , it is Japan's ninth longest river.-Geography:...
.
Flora in the park includes extensive stands of Japanese beech
Japanese Beech
The name Japanese Beech can refer to two different species of beech tree, both native to Japan.*Fagus crenata, also called Siebold's Beech*Fagus japonica, also called Japanese Blue Beech...
, Japanese stone pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and hemlock spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
. The largest fauna is the kamoshika
Japanese Serow
The Japanese serow , known in Japanese as the , is a goat-antelope found in dense woodland on Honshū, Japan....
and noted avian species include the ptarmigan. The park has minimal public facilities, and the only approach is by mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
.
Other large fauna include Asiatic Black Bear
Asiatic Black Bear
The Asian black bear , also known as the moon bear or white-chested bear is a medium-sized species of bear, largely adapted for arboreal life, which occurs through much of southern Asia, Korea, northeastern China, the Russian far east and Honshū and Shikoku islands of Japan...
, Wild Boar and Sika Deer
Sika Deer
The Sika Deer, Cervus nippon, also known as the Spotted Deer or the Japanese Deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to various other parts of the world...
.
Further reading
- Hunt, Paul. Hiking in Japan: An Adventurer's Guide to the Mountain Trails. Kodansha America (1988). ISBN 0-87011-893-5
- Southerland, Mary and Britton, Dorothy. The National Parks of Japan. Kodansha International (1995). ISBN 4-7700-1971-8
See also
- Akaishi MountainsAkaishi Mountainsis a mountain range in central Honshū, Japan, bordering Nagano, Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures. It is also called the , as it joins with the Hida Mountains and the Kiso Mountains to form the Japanese Alps....
- List of national parks of Japan