Chubusangaku National Park

Spanning 174,323 hectares in the Northern Japanese Alps, Chubusangaku National Park covers peaks, valleys, mountain lakes, and hot-spring villages spread across the high-altitude landscape of central Honshu. British missionary Walter Weston climbed Mt. Kasagatake here in 1894, helping establish the area as the center of European-style mountaineering in Japan. Today trails once used by Shugendo mountain ascetics serve hikers and campers, and the park supports wildlife including rock ptarmigans and the pink-flowered komakusa alpine plant. Private vehicles are restricted in certain zones, with bus and taxi services available. The park offers hiking and camping in summer, skiing and snowshoeing in winter.