Hirogawara

At 1,550 meters on the slopes of Mt. Kitadake, Hirogawara served as a major logging center in the Edo period, with timber floated down to the coast via a chain of rivers. The quality of the wood was high enough that it was used to repair Edo Castle in 1834. Today the area is primarily the starting point for climbing Japan's second-highest peak. Visitors not attempting the full ascent can cross the river by the bus rotary and walk a loop through Hirogawara Park, where the transition from the montane to alpine zone brings together conifers like Nikko fir alongside katsura and beech trees. In autumn the contrast between these species is particularly sharp.