Southern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group

Southern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group
Yatsugatake from Mount Gongen (August 2010)
Highest point
PeakMount Aka
Elevation2,899 m (9,511 ft)
Coordinates35°58′15″N 138°22′12″E / 35.97083°N 138.37000°E / 35.97083; 138.37000
Naming
EtymologySouthern mountains with eight peaks
Native name
Geography
Southern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group is located in Japan
Southern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group
Southern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group
CountryJapan
PrefecturesNagano Prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture
RegionChūbu
DistrictsMinamisaku and Suwa
MunicipalitiesHara, Fujimi, Chino, Hokuto and Minamimaki
Parent rangeYatsugatake Mountains
Borders onNorthern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group
BiomeAlpine climate
Geology
OrogenyIsland arc
Rock ageQuaternary
Rock typeVolcanic
Yatsugatake from Mt. Kitayoko (June 2007)

Southern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group (南八ヶ岳, Minami-Yatsugatake), also known as just Yatsugatake is a volcanic group of inactive volcanoes located on the border of Nagano Prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture on Honshū in Japan.

Description

The Southern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group is part of the Yatsugatake Mountains. The southern group is defined as the mountains south of the Natsuzawa Pass. The highest peak of the mountains is Mount Aka and the elevation is 2,899 metres.

The southern Yatugatake mountains are steep and have alpine characteristics. The mountains of the Northern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group are gentler and lower. Mount Tateshina is also part of the Northern Yatsugatake mountains, but is listed separately.

This volcanic group is listed among the 100 famous mountains in Japan. There the mountains are listed as Yatsugatake.

These mountains are part of the Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen Quasi-National Park.[1]

Geology

The volcanoes are stratovolcanoes that are 1 million to 200,000 years old. The rock is mainly basalt and andesite.[2]

Climate

Climate data for Nobeyama Station, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1978–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 11.9
(53.4) 		15.6
(60.1) 		20.1
(68.2) 		24.9
(76.8) 		26.5
(79.7) 		28.6
(83.5) 		30.7
(87.3) 		31.0
(87.8) 		29.1
(84.4) 		24.9
(76.8) 		19.7
(67.5) 		16.9
(62.4) 		31.0
(87.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 0.1
(32.2) 		1.1
(34.0) 		5.4
(41.7) 		12.1
(53.8) 		17.2
(63.0) 		19.9
(67.8) 		23.7
(74.7) 		24.7
(76.5) 		20.3
(68.5) 		14.7
(58.5) 		9.6
(49.3) 		3.5
(38.3) 		12.7
(54.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) −5.3
(22.5) 		−4.5
(23.9) 		−0.3
(31.5) 		5.8
(42.4) 		11.0
(51.8) 		14.8
(58.6) 		18.9
(66.0) 		19.5
(67.1) 		15.5
(59.9) 		9.3
(48.7) 		3.8
(38.8) 		−1.9
(28.6) 		7.2
(45.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −12.2
(10.0) 		−11.4
(11.5) 		−6.4
(20.5) 		−0.6
(30.9) 		4.9
(40.8) 		10.2
(50.4) 		15.0
(59.0) 		15.5
(59.9) 		11.4
(52.5) 		4.4
(39.9) 		−1.8
(28.8) 		−7.9
(17.8) 		1.8
(35.2)
Record low °C (°F) −25.1
(−13.2) 		−26.0
(−14.8) 		−25.3
(−13.5) 		−18.7
(−1.7) 		−6.6
(20.1) 		−1.4
(29.5) 		4.8
(40.6) 		4.2
(39.6) 		−2.2
(28.0) 		−8.9
(16.0) 		−14.1
(6.6) 		−23.1
(−9.6) 		−26.0
(−14.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 46.6
(1.83) 		49.8
(1.96) 		93.4
(3.68) 		100.6
(3.96) 		124.9
(4.92) 		172.6
(6.80) 		205.6
(8.09) 		166.8
(6.57) 		204.1
(8.04) 		164.6
(6.48) 		62.4
(2.46) 		41.0
(1.61) 		1,432.4
(56.39)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 6.1 6.1 9.7 9.8 10.9 13.7 15.1 13.0 11.9 10.0 7.0 5.8 119.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 175.7 167.1 179.8 188.3 186.0 127.7 142.2 160.1 124.1 140.2 167.9 175.5 1,933.7
Source 1: JMA[3]
Source 2: JMA[4]

List of peaks

The following major peaks make up part of the Southern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group and are listed by height:[2][5]

Name Height
Mount Aka (赤岳, Aka-dake) 2,899.2 metres (9,511.8 ft)
Mount Yoko (横岳, Yoko-dake) 2,829 metres (9,281 ft)
Mount Amida (阿弥陀岳, Amida-dake) 2,805 metres (9,203 ft)
Mount Iō (硫黄岳, Iō-dake) 2,760 metres (9,060 ft)
Mount Gongen (権現岳, Gongen-dake) 2,715 metres (8,907 ft)
Mount Amigasa (編笠山, Amigasa-yama) 2,523.7 metres (8,279.9 ft)
Mount Nishi (西岳, Nishi-dake) 2,398 metres (7,867 ft)

From the south, to Natuzawa Pass, beyond which the Northern Yatsugatake Mountains begin, the peaks are:

  • Mt. Amigasayama (2,524 m)
  • Mt. Nishidake (2,398 m)
  • Mt. Mitsugashira (2,580 m)
  • Mt. Gongendake (2,715 m)
  • Mt. Aka (2,899 m)
  • Mt. Nakadake (2,700 m)
  • Mt. Amidadake (2,805 m)
  • Mt. Yoko (2,829 m)
  • Mt. Iōdake (2,760 m)
  • Mt. Akaiwanoatama (2,656 m)
  • Mt. Minenomatsume (2,567 m)
  • Natsuzawa Pass (2,423 m)

From Natsuzawa Pass, it is possible to descend to Sakuradaira, via O-ren Hut and Natsuzawa Kosen, or directly to Honzawa Onsen, or continue through the Northern Yatsugatake Mountains.

  • Mount Aka, the highest peak of the Yatsugatake mountains
    Mount Aka, the highest peak of the Yatsugatake mountains
  • Mount Gongen, from Mount Aka
    Mount Gongen, from Mount Aka
  • Mount Amida, Mount Iō, Mount Yoko and Mount Aka from Mount Gongen
    Mount Amida, Mount Iō, Mount Yoko and Mount Aka from Mount Gongen
  • Mount Amida, Mount Iō, Mount Yoko, Mount Aka and Mount Gongen from Mount Amigasa
    Mount Amida, Mount Iō, Mount Yoko, Mount Aka and Mount Gongen from Mount Amigasa
  • Mt Iō taken from Natsuzawa Pass in March 2024.jpg
    Mt Iō taken from Natsuzawa Pass in March 2024.jpg

See also

References

  1. ^ 八ヶ岳中信高原国定公園. Japan Integrated Biodiversity Information System (in Japanese). Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan. Archived from the original on 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
  2. ^ a b "YATSU-GA-TAKE". Quaternary Volcanoes of Japan. Geological Survey of Japan, AIST. 2006. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
  3. ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  4. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  5. ^ Hunt, Paul (1988). "14. Yatsu-ga-take". Hiking in Japan: An Adventurer's Guide to the Mountain Trails (First ed.). Tokyo: Kondansha International. pp. 111–115. ISBN 0-87011-893-5.

See also