Kamikochi: Azusa River

Azusa River (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

Hotaka Mountains, Azusa River (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

"The Azusa River is 65 km long with a watershed of 559 sq km, and has its source on the southeastern slope of Mount Yari in the Chūbu-Sangaku National Park. The river flows through the Kamikōchi (上高地, Upper Highlands) valley - designated as one of Japan's National Cultural Assets, on the list of Special Natural Monuments and Special Places of Scenic Beauty."

Our route crossed a bridge over the river and we arrived at the main visitor center. Exploring a short distance beyond the center we got treated to an expansive view of river and mountains.

By this time we were getting a little tired. We managed to get seats on a bus that was just departing for Takayama, where we had a nice lunch at a small tempura / udon restaurant.

Kamikochi: Mountains, Trees, River

River, Trees, Mountains (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

Trees, Mountains (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

The sun was pretty low, giving me some nice lens flares.

Monday Duck Blogging

Ducks (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

Mallards: Kamikochi’s Permanent Residents

"As you may have gathered from the title of this post, mallard ducks (called 'magamo' in Japanese) have a special quality which strengthens their association with Kamikochi. The mallard itself is by no means a rare species. Of the 130 species of birds confirmed to reside in Kamikochi, though, it is one of only 20 species that winters there."

***

Didn't expect to see them in Kamikochi! (More likely viewed down by the pool or Vik's Chaat restaurant in Berkeley.)

Photo taken with a Sony RX100 digital camera.

Kamikochi Trees

Autumn Trees (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

Azusa River, Trees (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

Larches. 

"Known as karamatsu in Japanese, larches are endemic to some of the colder regions in Japan. Every autumn, their needles turn yellow before gradually falling off the trees, and growing back the following year to repeat the cycle anew.　They are distinguished from other similar species in that they alone are classified as deciduous conifers. Larches are perhaps the tree most closely associated with Kamikochi in the autumn."

Hotaka Mountains

Hotaka Mountains (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

Hotaka Mountain Range Sign (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

Eventually the marshy area gave way to more solid ground. Coming out of the trees we came upon this meadow featuring a view of the stark Hotaka Mountain range.

Kamikochi Morning - 2

Frost on Grass (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

Trees, Reflections (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

Very cold! Actually, it was the last week the park was open before closing for the winter season. This section was wet and marshy . . . boards have been installed for hiking purposes.

Hiking on Boards (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

Kamikochi Morning - 1

Pond, Trees, Mountains (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

Pond, Reflections (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024

We clambered down the slope leading to Taisho Pond (lots of photographers!) and managed to follow the lead of several hikers as we set off through the valley.

Bus Ride to Kamikochi

View from Bus - Japan  2024

Bus in Tunnel - Japan  2024

"Kamikōchi (上高地, Upper Highlands) is a remote mountainous highland valley within the Hida Mountains range, in the western region of Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

"It has been preserved in its natural state within Chūbu-Sangaku National Park. It is designated as one of Japan's National Cultural Assets, on the list of Special Natural Monuments and Special Places of Scenic Beauty. It is sometimes referred to as the 'Japanese Yosemite Valley,' although it is considerably smaller than its Californian counterpart."

After arriving in Takayama after our Tanekura excursion we wandered around the town and ended up having dinner at a nice Hida beef restaurant. But most importantly, we purchased tickets for the next day's 7AM bus to Kamikochi, which had been on our to-do list for quite some time.

Even though we got to the bus depot early there was already a surprisingly long line waiting to board. Luckily, a second bus soon appeared and we got on. We transferred to a dedicated park bus and after a short ride got off at Taisho Pond.

Hiking Down to Taisho Pond (Kamikochi) - Japan  2024