Location and Geological Features
Mount Okuhotaka is the highest peak in the Northern Alps. From there, the mountain ridges extend northward through Mount Karasawa, Mount Kitahotaka, Mount Maehotaka, Mount Minami, Mount Naka, and Mount Ōbami. Farther north lies Mount Yari, and these peaks together are known as the Yari-Hotaka Range.
Except for Mount Maehotaka, most of these mountains lie along the boundary between Matsumoto City in Nagano Prefecture and Takayama City in Gifu Prefecture. Their rugged terrain was shaped by glacial erosion acting on the region’s distinctive Hotaka andesite formations, which feature well-developed columnar joints. Towering rocky peaks form a dramatic north-south ridge.
East of Mount Okuhotaka, a separate ridge extends through Mount Maehotaka and Mount Myōjin toward Byōbu-no-Kashira, which stands at 2,565.4 meters. This ridge connects to Mount Okuhotaka via a narrow ridge known as the Tsurione. The rocky peaks between Mount Maehotaka and Byōbu-no-Kashira are numbered from Peak I, Mount Maehotaka itself, through Peak VIII. Similarly, the rocky peaks south of Mount Myōjin are numbered from Peak I through Peak V.
The main ridge running between Mount Yari and Mount Okuhotaka turns southwest beyond Mount Okuhotaka, continuing toward Mount Nishihotaka and Nishihotaka Doppyo. These peaks are also composed of Hotaka andesite formations. Farther southwest, the landscape becomes gentler, where Takidani granodiorite is widely distributed. Mount Yakedake lies along the same general geological extension.
Mountain Routes and Access from the Foothills
From Mount Okuhotaka, hikers can follow the Tsurione ridge to Mount Maehotaka and then descend through a glacial cirque toward Kappabashi Bridge in Kamikōchi.
On the Gifu Prefecture side, hikers can descend Shiradezawa from Hotakadake Sansō mountain hut. Another option is to descend from Mount Nishihotaka by ropeway or by a trail below the ropeway, eventually reaching Shinhotaka Onsen.
Rock Faces and Mountaineering Bases
Mount Hotaka is counted among Japan’s Three Great Rock-Climbing Areas, together with Mount Tsurugi and Mount Tanigawa. One of the region’s most famous climbing areas is Takidani, located on the Hida side of the ridge between Mount Karasawa and Mount Minami. Its imposing rock walls are considered comparable to Ichinokurasawa on Mount Tanigawa.
Takidani is known not only for its steep cliffs but also for its unstable, easily fractured rock. Because of these dangerous conditions, it is sometimes described as a graveyard of rocks. The upper reaches of Okumatashiro Valley, east of Mount Maehotaka, also feature steep rock walls known as the East Wall of Mount Maehotaka.
Karasawa, located between Mount Okuhotaka and Mount Maehotaka, is an important base for climbing the Hotaka Range. This U-shaped glacial cirque was carved out beneath the Tsurione ridge. Snowfields remain here even in summer, creating a striking alpine landscape.
Origin of the Name
Because of its distinctive shape, Mount Hotaka was once called Mount Gohei, after the ritual streamers used in Shinto ceremonies. The name Hotaka came into use after the mountain was recorded as “保高嶽” on a provincial map dating to 1646, during the Shōhō era.
A standing statue of the Eleven-Headed Kannon, created by the Buddhist monk Enkū in 1690 and held at Keihōji Temple in Gifu, bears the inscription “保多迦嶽” on its reverse. In 1693, the chief priest of Hotaka Shrine recorded the name as “穂高嶽.” The modern name became more widely established after Masao Udono and his companions completed a traverse from Mount Yari to Mount Hotaka in 1909.
Geology and Volcanic Origins
Mount Hotaka is composed primarily of a dacitic welded tuff known as Hotaka andesite. This rock originated from the Nyūkawa pyroclastic flow, produced by a massive eruption approximately 1.75 million years ago.
The eruption is estimated to have released around twice as much magma as the eruption of the Aira Caldera approximately 30,000 years ago, around 430 times as much as the 1914 eruption of Sakurajima, and approximately 2,800 times as much as the eruptions of Mount Unzen-Fugendake between 1991 and 1995.
Following the eruption, the region gradually rose over a period of approximately one million years. Uplift of around 2,000 meters contributed to the formation of the present-day Mount Hotaka landscape.
Glacial Landforms
Numerous glacial landforms have been identified throughout the Hotaka mountain system, including the famous Karasawa Cirque.
In 1963, Tomoya Iozawa of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan analyzed aerial photographs and identified areas such as Yokoo Valley, which had not previously been recognized as glacial terrain, as landforms created by extensive glaciation in earlier periods. He proposed the Yokoo Glacial Stage, dating to approximately 60,000 years ago, and the Karasawa Glacial Stage, dating to around 20,000 years ago.
Mountaineering History
The earliest recorded ascent of Mount Hotaka is attributed to the Buddhist monk Enkū, who climbed Mount Hotaka, then known as Hotakagatake, in 1690.
In 1880, William Gowland climbed Mount Myōjin with Kamijō Kamonji serving as his guide. In the years that followed, mountaineers and surveyors made first ascents of various peaks in the Hotaka Range, establishing a rich history of exploration, ridge traverses, and technical climbing.
In August 1909, a party led by Masao Udono reached the summit of Mount Okuhotaka and completed a traverse to Mount Yari, an important milestone in the history of Japanese mountaineering.
Major Peaks of the Hotaka Range
Mount Okuhotaka — 3,190 m
Mount Okuhotaka is the highest peak in the Hotaka Range and the third-highest mountain in Japan, after Mount Fuji and Mount Kita. It is also the highest peak in the Northern Alps. According to local belief, it is the place where Hotakami-no-Kami, the principal deity of Hotaka Shrine, descended to earth.
Mount Karasawa — 3,110 m
Mount Karasawa lies between the Shirade Col, where Hotakadake Sansō mountain hut is located, and Mount Kitahotaka. The surrounding area attracts many hikers during the autumn foliage season, when the mountain slopes are covered in brilliant colors.
Mount Kitahotaka — 3,106 m
Located at the northern end of the Hotaka Range, Mount Kitahotaka is known for Takidani, one of Japan’s most renowned and challenging rock-climbing areas.
Mount Maehotaka — 3,090 m
Mount Maehotaka is connected to Mount Okuhotaka by the Tsurione ridge. Its distinctive rocky terrain extends toward the northeast, creating a dramatic landscape popular with experienced mountaineers.
Mount Myōjin — 2,931 m
Mount Myōjin has been revered as a sacred mountain since ancient times and is regarded as the sacred embodiment of Hotakami-no-Mikoto.
Mount Nishihotaka — 2,909 m
Mount Nishihotaka lies at the end of a narrow ridge extending southwest from Mount Okuhotaka. Identifying its precise summit can be difficult because of the complex rocky terrain.
Mount Aino — 2,909 m
Mount Aino lies on the ridge between Mount Nishihotaka and Mount Okuhotaka. It is also referred to as Tengu-no-Kashira.
Mount Yakedake — 2,455 m
Mount Yakedake is an active volcano at the southern end of the Hotaka mountain region. It has a history of explosive eruptions and forms a striking part of the volcanic landscape surrounding the Northern Alps.
Karasawa Cirque
Located at the base of Mount Hotaka, Karasawa serves as a major mountaineering base in summer and is famous for its spectacular autumn foliage. The U-shaped cirque, formed by glacial erosion, is particularly impressive, with towering peaks surrounding the valley and snow remaining in some areas well into summer.
With its towering summits, dramatic rock faces, glacial cirques, and rich mountaineering history, Mount Hotaka is one of Japan’s most celebrated alpine destinations. It offers unforgettable scenery for experienced climbers and hikers exploring the Northern Alps.