What to do and see in Chubu, Japan: The Best National Parks

This facility is located in Sawando district where is the transfer point going for Kamikochi, a part of Chubusangaku National Park. Tourists can't go to Kamikochi by private car for environmental protection and smooth traffic, so all tourists have to change to a bus or taxi at this please. We provide you some useful information about Kamikochi or other spot in the National Park by using the transfer time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Ise-Shima National Park is spread around the Shima penin- sula located in the central part of Mie prefecture. It expands over the cities of Ise, Toba, Shima, and Minami Ise town, occupying a vast area of nearly 60,000 hectares. Ise-Shima National Park is broadly divided into two areas. One is an inland area centered on the Ise Jingu and the nature-rich forest environment spreading behind the Ise Jingu. The other is a coastal area represented by the Ria coast, which is complex terrain with many geological features. It is dotted with innumerable small coves and capes. Compared to other national parks, the proportion of privately owned land is very high (over 96%), and the population in the park is also very large. Therefore, in this park, you can get to know more about the local people’s lives, history, culture, customs etc. This park introduces appreciation of the beautiful landscapes and realization of the relationship between humans and nature.

Established in March 2015, this new national park is located at the border of Niigata Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture and extends over 2 prefectures and 6 municipalities such as Itoigawa City, Myoko City, Nagano City, Otari Village, Shinano Town, and Iizuna Town. Although its total area is rather small, uniquely-shaped mountains are densely packed, and a distinctive landscape which consists of plateaus dispersed at the foot of the mountains, lakes and swamps such as Lake Nojiri is one of many great charms found here. Its mountain formation is diverse, including volcanic mountain range, calderas, non-volcanic independent high peaks, and mountain range. Mountain worship is also thriving in each region.

Hakusan National Park covers approximately 40 km lengthwise and 30 km crosswise, and it consists mainly of the tallest peak of Gozengamine (altitude of 2,702 m), Onanjimine (altitude of 2,684 m), Kengamine (altitude of 2,677 m), and surrounding mountains. A primeval natural environment is preserved with natural forests mostly of the Japanese beech spreading at the piedmont of 1,600 m in altitude or lower and alpine plants inhabiting alpine and subalpine zones. These alpine plants include as many as 250 different species such as Geranium yesoense var. nipponicum (perennial with pink, dark-veined flowers, grows in heavy snow area) and the Chocolate Lily. This is also a habitat for large wild birds and animals including the golden eagle, the Asian black bear, and the Japanese serow. It is designated as a UNESCO’s biosphere reserve (UNESCO Eco Park) based on the UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) due to the park’s copious nature.

It is a mountain park symbolizing Japan, occupying the entire Northern Japan Alps. It is one of the fi­rst national parks designated in 1934. This park consists of mountains of altitude 3,000 m in height, such as Ushiro-Tateyama-Renpo(mountain range) includes Mt. Shiroumadake, Tateyama Mountain Range with Mt. Tsurugidake and Mt. Tateyama, Hotaka mountain range with Mt. Yarigadake etc., and Mt. Norikuradake rising to the southernmost part. There are large varieties of mountainous landscapes, such as rock walls that rise to a large scale, deep and steep valleys, flower gardens in the alpine belt, rock ptarmigan, blankets of snow that remain until the summer, U-shaped valleys scraped by glaciers, lakes formed by volcanoes, lava plateaus, etc. Climbers love visiting it. Also, trailhead such as Kamikochi, Murodo of Mt. Tateyama, Tatamidaira of Mt. Norikuradake, etc are accessible by public transportation. Here visitors can enjoy magnificent mountain landscape and alpine plants.

The Minami (Southern)-Alps consist of three mountain systems such as Kaikoma and Mt. Hoo system, Mt. Shirane system, and Mt. Akaishi system. They contain the second highest mountain in Japan, Mt. Kitadake (altitude of 3,193 m) as well as more than ten mountains with altitudes of around 3,000 m, which are the headwater areas of Oi River, Tenryu River, and Fuji River. This mountainous area is located in the southernmost part of the Japanese Alps, with much rain in summer and a little snow in winter. There are many deeply cut V-shaped valleys created by river erosion caused by much rain. Further, a characteristic feature of forests covering the mountains up close to the ridgelines due to the high forest limit caused by a small amount of snowfall can be seen. This is the southernmost place in Japan, where there are traces of glaciers, and glacial landform and periglaciation created around 20,000 years ago.