, or Taisetsuzan is located in the mountainous center of the northern

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

island of

Hokkaidō is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

. At , Daisetsuzan is the largest national park in Japan, and is approximately the size of

Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kana ...

. Daisetsuzan, meaning "great snowy mountains", an apt description of these peaks. There are 16 peaks over in Daisetsuzan National Park, both with and without trails. The park offers some of the most rugged scenery in Japan.

Asahidake is a mountain located near the town of Higashikawa, Hokkaido and the tallest mountain on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. It is part of the Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group of the Ishikari Mountains, it is located in the northern part of the Daisetsuz ...

(), located in the north of the park, is the highest peak in Hokkaidō. Daisetsuzan National Park spans two subprefectures of Hokkaidō, Kamikawa and Tokachi. Daisetsuzan National Park was established in 1934.

Mountain groups

Daisetsuzan National Park consists of three volcanic mountain groups. The groups consist of

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...

es piled on top of each other. As one vent becomes active, it builds a peak then stops until a new vent appears. These groups are: #

Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group The is a volcanic group of peaks arranged around the wide caldera in Hokkaidō, Japan. In the Ainu language it is known as ''Nutapukaushipe'' (which means "the mountain above the river"),

— lies in the northern part of the park and includes Hokkaidō's tallest mountain, Mount Asahi. #

Tokachi Volcanic Group is a volcanic group of mainly stratovolcanoes arrayed along a southwest–northeast axis in Hokkaidō, Japan. The volcanic group lies on the Kurile arc of the Pacific ring of fire, and consists of andesite, basalt, and dacite stratovolcanoes a ...

— lies in the southwest of the park north of the Yubari and

Hidaka Mountains is a mountain range in southeastern Hokkaido, Japan. It runs from Mount Sahoro or Karikachi Pass in central Hokkaidō south, running into the sea at Cape Erimo. It consists of folded mountains that range from in height. Mount Poroshiri is ...

. It includes Mount Tokachi #

Shikaribetsu Volcanic Group is a volcanic group of lava domes surrounding Lake Shikaribetsu in Hokkaidō, Japan. The Shikaribetsu volcanic group is located in Daisetsuzan National Park. The volcanic group lies on the Kurile arc of the Pacific ring of fire. The volcanic ...

— lies in the eastern part of the park and includes

Mount Ishikari is part of the Ishikari Mountains, Hokkaidō, Japan. On its slopes are the head waters of the Ishikari River. See also * Central Ishikari Mountains * Daisetsuzan National Park , or Taisetsuzan is located in the mountainous center of the ...

. The

Ishikari River The , at long, is the third longest in Japan and the longest in Hokkaidō. The river drains an area of , making it the second largest in Japan, with a total discharge of around per year. It originates from Mount Ishikari in the Daisetsuzan V ...

(), which emerges from Mount Ishikari, is the third longest in Japan and the longest in Hokkaidō. These volcanic groups lie around a central highlands dominated by Mount Tomuraushi. The park is also known for its

alpine meadows Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...

and remote backcountry.

Nature

Daisetsuzan National Park is famous for its wildlife, and the park is home to several rare species. The park is notably home to a population of

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is kno ...

s. The

pika A pika ( or ; archaically spelled pica) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal found in Asia and North America. With short limbs, very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the rabbit, but wi ...

, a small mammal, with short limbs, rounded ears, and no external tail, is also found in the park. The forests of Daisetsuzan National Park are dominated by the '' Picea jezoensis'', the Jezo spruce, and the ''

Abies sachalinensis ''Abies sachalinensis'', the Sakhalin fir, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is found in Sakhalin island and southern Kurils (Russia), and also in northern Hokkaido (Japan). The first discovery by a European was by Carl Friedr ...

'', the Sakhalin fir. Of the 450 species of

alpine plant Alpine plants are plants that grow in an alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. There are many different plant species and taxa that grow as a plant community in these alpine tundra. These include perennial grasses, ...

s found in Hokkaidō, half are found in Daisetsuzan National Park.

Onsen

Daisetsuzan National Park also includes the

onsen In Japan, are the country's hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. As a volcanically active country, Japan has many onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands. There are approximately 25,000 hot ...

hot spring resorts of Asahidake Onsen, Fukiage Onsen, Sōunkyō Onsen and Tenninkyo Onsen.

References

External links

Official Website of Daisetsuzan National Park
*

at Biodiversity Center of Japan, Ministry of the Environment * Gretel Ehrlich: ''Daisetsuzan'', National Geographic Magazine August 200
link
{{authority control National parks of Japan Natural monuments of Japan Parks and gardens in Hokkaido Protected areas established in 1934