Japanese Alps

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Shirouma peaks (Hida Mountains)

Tateyama peaks (Hida Mountains)

Lake Hakuba

The Kiso Mountains between Nagoya and Naoetsu

The Japanese Alps is a series of mountain ranges in Japan that bisects the main island of Honshū. The name was 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.

The Japanese Alps encompass the Hida Mountains, the Kiso Mountains and the Akaishi Mountains. These towering ranges include several peaks exceeding 3,000 m in height, the tallest after Mount Fuji. The highest are Mount Hotaka at 3,190 m (10,466 ft) and Mount Kita at 3,193 m (10,473 ft). Mount Ontake in Nagano Prefecture (3,067 m, 10,060 ft) is a destination for pilgrimages as well as an active volcano, having erupted most recently in 1979 and 1980.