Daisetsuzan

Daisetsuzan: The Roof of Hokkaido and the Garden of the Gods

Rising at the very heart of Hokkaido, Daisetsuzan is not a single peak but a vast volcanic massif of more than a dozen mountains crowned by Asahidake, the island's highest summit at 2,291 meters. Long before this terrain bore Japanese names, the Ainu people who lived along the rivers below called it Nutap-ka-us-pe — "the land that lies above the river bend" — and reserved their most reverent name, Kamuy Mintar, "the playground of the gods," for the flower-strewn plateaus of its high country. Designated a Special Natural Monument in recognition of an alpine flora and fauna unmatched anywhere else in Japan, Daisetsuzan offers visitors a rare glimpse of a primeval mountain landscape preserved on a scale almost without parallel in the country.

A Brief Introduction to the Daisetsuzan Range

The name "Daisetsuzan" — literally "the great snowy mountains" — refers collectively to the cluster of peaks that forms the central highlands of Hokkaido. The range is conventionally divided into four sub-areas: the central Omote-Daisetsu around Asahidake, the Kita-Daisetsu (North Daisetsu), the Higashi-Daisetsu (East Daisetsu), and the Tokachi volcanic chain to the south. Together they constitute the core of Daisetsuzan National Park, which at roughly 226,000 hectares is the largest national park in Japan, established as one of the country's earliest national parks in December 1934.

Although the summits sit only around the 2,000-meter mark, their high latitude and exposure to Siberian weather give them a climate comparable to the 3,000-meter peaks of the Japan Alps. The treeline falls at about 1,500 meters, and above it stretches the largest continuous alpine zone in the country — a sweeping mosaic of meadows, snowfields, lava plateaus, and patches of permafrost that survive year-round in only a handful of places in Japan.

The Garden of the Gods: Cultural Background

For the Kamikawa Ainu, who settled the upper reaches of the Ishikari River, the great mountain mass to the southeast was both a source of life and a place of profound reverence. They believed Kimun-kamuy — the deity of the mountains, embodied by the Higuma brown bear — walked freely across the high plateaus, and the term Kamuy Mintar described the alpine meadows where divine beings were thought to gather and play. Each year at the foot of Asahidake, an Ainu ceremony called Nupuri-kor-kamuy-nomi is still held to pray for the safety of climbers and visitors, a living continuation of the spiritual relationship that gave these mountains their meaning.

The modern name "Daisetsuzan" came into general use only in the early twentieth century, when the geographer Hideo Koizumi systematically mapped and named the peaks during his surveys of the central highlands. The literary traveler Keigetsu Omachi, who traversed the range in 1921, helped fix the mountain in the national imagination with his oft-quoted line, urging readers to climb Mount Fuji to know the height of mountains, and Daisetsuzan to know their vastness.

Why Daisetsuzan Was Designated a Special Natural Monument

Daisetsuzan was first designated a Natural Monument under the Cultural Properties Protection Law on April 23, 1971, and elevated to the higher status of Special Natural Monument in 1977. The designation covers the central protected area of the range, where entry into the strictest zones is restricted in order to safeguard ecosystems of exceptional scientific value.

Three features form the heart of the case for protection. First, the alpine flora is unrivalled in Japan in both the variety of species and the scale of the plant communities, with around 250 species of alpine plants — roughly forty percent of all alpine plant species recorded in the country — flourishing across the high plateaus. Second, the range shelters a remarkable assemblage of glacial-relict animals — species that survived in the high cold zones after retreating northward at the end of the last Ice Age. And third, the immense primeval forest at the headwaters of the Tokachi River is regarded as without equal in Japan. The combined value of these elements led the Agency for Cultural Affairs to place the area under the country's strongest cultural property protection.

Highlights and Things to See

Asahidake and the Sugatami Pond Loop

Asahidake (2,291 m) is the principal peak of Daisetsuzan and the highest point in Hokkaido. A ropeway from Asahidake Onsen carries visitors up to Sugatami Station at about 1,600 meters, where a well-maintained wooden boardwalk loops past Sugatami Pond — a small lake whose still waters reflect the steaming summit on calm days. Active fumaroles called Jigokudani, meaning "Hell Valley," vent sulfurous gas from the slopes above. Even visitors who do not climb to the summit can walk the loop in about an hour and encounter rich communities of chinguruma, alpine azaleas, and other wildflowers in summer.

Kurodake and the Sounkyo Gorge Approach

From the dramatic Sounkyo Gorge on the eastern flank, a ropeway and chairlift carry visitors up the lower slopes of Kurodake (1,984 m). A relatively short hike from the upper lift station reaches the summit, opening one of the classic gateway routes into the high country. From the top, the trail along the rim of the Ohachidaira caldera offers some of the most expansive panoramas in the entire range.

The Alpine Flora of Mount Koizumi and the Plateaus

The high plateaus around Mount Koizumi and the Numa-no-taira basin host plant communities that rank among the most important in Asia. Endemic species such as Daisetsu-torikabuto (a local monkshood), Ezo-oyama-no-endo, Hosoba-uruppuso, and Kumoi-rindo grow only in this range, and the patches of mountain permafrost beneath the surface help maintain the cold microclimates these plants require.

Tomuraushi and the Inner Wilderness

To the south, Tomuraushi (2,141 m) is sometimes called the "back parlor" of Daisetsuzan, a remote summit whose name comes from an Ainu word said to describe a place of abundant flowers. Surrounded by rock gardens, alpine ponds, and the so-called "Japan Garden" of cushion plants, it is one of the most prized destinations on the multi-day traverse route.

Glacial-Relict Wildlife

Daisetsuzan is the southernmost stronghold of several creatures whose ancestors arrived during the Ice Age and never left. The tiny Ezo naki-usagi, or northern pika, lives among the rock gardens of Tomuraushi and other high boulder fields. All five of Hokkaido's alpine butterfly species occur here, including the Apollo-like Usubaki butterfly and the Asahi fritillary, both of which are themselves designated as national Natural Monuments. The deeper forests are home to the Higuma brown bear, the elusive Black Woodpecker, and the rare Blakiston's Fish Owl.

Japan's Earliest Autumn Colors

Because of its latitude and elevation, Daisetsuzan is famous as the place where autumn first arrives in Japan. From early September the high plateaus turn crimson with urashima-tsutsuji and chinguruma, often weeks before any other range in the country shows color, and the first snowfalls dust the peaks by mid-September.

Visitor Information and Access

The most popular gateways to Daisetsuzan are Asahidake Onsen on the western side and Sounkyo Onsen on the northeastern side, both reachable by bus from Asahikawa. Asahidake Onsen sits at the base of the Asahidake Ropeway, while Sounkyo is the entrance for the Kurodake ropeway and chairlift. From Tokyo, the most common route is by air to Asahikawa Airport followed by bus to either trailhead; from Sapporo, direct buses and trains via Asahikawa serve both areas. The full hiking season is short, generally from late June to early October, with snowfields lingering into July and the first snow possible in September.

Because the range is a Special Natural Monument and a national park, visitors are asked to stay on marked trails, carry out all waste, refrain from picking plants, and exercise particular caution about brown bears, which are present throughout the park. Carrying a bear bell, traveling in groups, and consulting the latest information at visitor centers are strongly recommended.

Around Daisetsuzan

The mountains are surrounded by some of Hokkaido's most evocative landscapes and onsen towns, making it easy to combine high-country hiking with lowland sightseeing.

• Sounkyo Gorge — a striking canyon of columnar basalt cliffs with the famous Ginga and Ryusei waterfalls.
• Tenninkyo Gorge and Hagoromo Falls — a graceful seven-tiered cascade designated a Place of Scenic Beauty by Hokkaido in 1951.
• Biei and Furano — the rolling patchwork farmland and lavender fields that frame the southwestern view of the range.
• Asahikawa — the regional hub, home to the Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Memorial Hall and the popular Asahiyama Zoo.
• Lake Shikaribetsu — a high-altitude caldera lake on the eastern side, known for its winter ice village.