100 Famous Shinshu Mountains
The Shinshū 100 Famous Mountains were selected by Eiichi Shimizu as the defining peaks of Nagano Prefecture (historically known as Shinshū). The list draws heavily from the Northern Alps (Hida Mountains), the Yatsugatake, and the Central Alps — the backbone ranges of a prefecture that is, by any measure, the heart of Japanese mountain culture.
This page covers the 60 peaks on the list that can be reached without a private car. Most trailheads are served by bus from the nearest train station; for those that aren't, a shared taxi or regular taxi will get you there. Featured peaks include Kirigamine, Mt. Aka, Mt. Akaishi and Mt. Amakazari. Each guide spells out the exact route from the station to the trailhead — bus and taxi timetables, fares, and frequencies verified against official schedules. Use the map and list below to compare access ease and fitness demand, whether you're planning a day hike or a multi-day traverse with an overnight stay beforehand.
100 Famous Shinshu Mountains
Compare by the numbers
A Shugendo sacred peak featuring the harrowing knife-edge Ari-no-towatari and relentless chains, a genuine test of nerve and skill.
A Togakushi sacred ridge climbed via the Mune-tsuki-Hacchō pitch, with a final rocky crest opening to a grand panorama.
Called the second Tanigawa-dake of the remote Akiyamago, this peak tests experts with the Razor Rock and the precipitous Kamiori Ridge.
A demanding peak deep in the Akiyamago valley, treasured for quiet views of Naebasan and the Tanigawa range.
The fourth-highest peak in the southern Alps, a massive mountain that embodies the name of the Akaishi range.
A high tri-prefecture-border peak on the ridge to Sukurodake, sweeping Yari, Hotaka, and the Kurobe headwaters in one view.
The crowning peak of the Yatsugatake range, rewarding climbers with a rocky ridge and a sweeping 360-degree panorama.
A 3,000-meter peak deep in the southern Alps, captivating climbers with untouched primeval forest and majestic mountain scenery.
A soaring cluster of peaks led by Okuhotakadake, Japan's third-highest, spectacular for summer alpine flora and Karasawa's autumn foliage.
A graceful twin-peaked mountain in the Ushiro-Tateyama range that holds Japan's only confirmed glaciers, with superb summer wildflowers.
One of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains standing alone in the central southern Alps, a deep-mountain panorama that rewards the long approach over Sanbutu Pass.
The Spear of the Northern Alps, whose thrusting summit silhouette is the symbol of Japan's high mountains and the aspiration of countless climbers.
The centerpiece of the Ura-Ginza traverse, where the Washiba-ike pond just below the summit with Yarigatake behind it is the route's finest scene.