Tateyama

Description

Tateyama is one of Japan's three most sacred mountains, along with Fuji San and Haku San. There are three peaks: Fuji Oritate (2,999m), Ohnanji (3,015m) and Ohyama (2,992m). A shrine stands on Ohyama, built up on a solid cairn of rocks which reaches 3,003 meters. Tateyama joins Jodo Yama and Bessan to form the three peaks of the Tateyama Sanzan.

Tateyama is the rim of an old volcano and the surrounding peaks form most of the rim of the caldera. Below the mountains is Murodo Daira, the Murodo Flats. Here are several mountain hotels and a camping area. There is also Jigoku Dani - Hell Valley. Steam and sulfurous gases hiss out of the ground and sulfur stains many rocks in yellow. Overlooking the valley from Murodo is Japan's highest hot spring.

The mountain is easily accessible thanks to the Kurobe Tateyama Alpen Route. A series of electric-powered buses and a cable car run between Obuchizawa in Nagano and Tateyama Station in Toyama. From the Nagano side the buses run inside the mountain and it's necessary to transfer at the Kurobe Dam. The bus to Murodo Daira takes you up to below one of the hotels. From there you can walk right out to Murodo Daira. The elevation 2,450 meters. Ascending Tateyama is not so difficult as you can walk the distance to the beginning of the climb and then go up the steep switchback route over rocks to reach the first summit of Ohyama. It's an easy walk across to the next two summits. Alternatively you can climb up Bessan and approach the mountain from the other side.

From the top of Tateyama it is possible to look across the North Alps and see all the way to Fuji San and the South Alps. Tateyama is one of Japan's Hyaku Meisan - One Hundred Famous Mountains. The area is popular in winter as well because the transit service stops for only a three months or so and the snow falls usually in November and stays until June. Many people go skiing and snowboarding as well as climbing when the landscape is covered in deep snow. There are no lifts. People just climb up the mountains and ski down.

Thanks to Peter Skov for this description.