The Japanese Alps are a prominent feature of the Chubu Region on the island of Honshu. Japan Alps have several volcanic peaks and comprise of several mountain ranges, like the Hide Mountains, the Kiso Mountains and the Akaishi Mountains; The volcanic peaks in Japanese Alps include the Okuhotaka-dake, the Yariga-dake and others. The Japanese Alps are also one of the coldest areas in the winter with frost and snow. The Chubu-Sangaku National Park is the best known travel destination in the Japanese Alps .
The Japanese Alps are popular for the mountaineering and trekking options which they offer to local and international tourists. A British Evangelist called Reverend Walter Weston was responsible for popularizing the Alps in Japan, as a hiking and mountaineering paradise, to the world. Hiking is popular in the summer and spring months. Winter brings the famed powder snow appropriate for skiing. Notably, Japan hosted the eighteenth Winter Olympics in 1998 at Nagano. Japan also has a premier Japan Alpine Club of which the Crown Prince Naruhito, an avid climber is also a member. The best times for Mountain Climbing are from July to September. There are several mountain huts and hostelries along the way for the convenience of hikers and trekkers climbing the Japanese Alps . The huts provide amenities like Tatami mat bedding, bathing areas and food. The Alps in Japan are suitable for both hard core trekkers and professional mountaineers as well as for a more amateurish middle aged crowd, which strangely happens to be the dominant demographic interested in hiking in Japan.
The Alps in Japan are also imbued with spirituality and religion in the minds of the Japanese people. There are several Shinto shrines and monasteries nestled among the Japanese Alps . Mostly inaccessible during the severe winter months, these quaint mountain shrines attract visitors in the summer months.
