Mount Yari, left, and the Hotaka mountain range are seen from Mount Norikura in Japan’s Northern Alps on the border between Nagano and Gifu prefectures, in July 2026. (Hirohito Takeda)
British missionary Walter Weston (1861-1940) helped introduce the Japanese Alps to the West and spur the spread of modern mountaineering in Japan, a movement that has continued to date as people enjoy the mountains while keeping an eye on constantly changing weather.
“We stand on the loftiest point of the whole surface of this mountain empire, save for the peerless peak of Fuji.” In the summer of 1892, around the middle of the Meiji era (1868-1912), Weston scaled the summit of the 3,180-meter Mount Yari, known in Japanese as Yarigatake. His book “Mountaineering and Exploration in the Japanese Alps,” which included his account of the climb, was published in London four years later. This year marks the 130th anniversary of the book’s publication.
It was the first time the splendor of the Japanese Alps, rivaling the mountain ranges in Europe, had been introduced to Europe and the United States. His work also helped spur the spread of modern mountaineering in Japan.
A young Japanese man who climbed Mount Yari 10 years after Weston happened to learn of the book and was shocked to discover that a foreigner had reached the summit before him. The youth was Usui Kojima (1873-1948), who later interacted with Weston and worked to establish the Japanese Alpine Club, becoming its first president.
In Kamikochi, a mountainous highland valley in the Nagano Prefecture city of Matsumoto that serves as the gateway to Japan’s Northern Alps, stands a monument to Weston that the club erected before World War II to honor his contributions to climbing. It was removed during the war because Weston was from the U.K., which Japan fought against. The relief was restored after the end of the war. The Kamikochi area has since developed into a world-class mountain resort also popular among inbound foreign visitors.
Azumi Elementary School students lay flowers at the monument of Walter Weston in the Kamikochi area in the city of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, in June 2026. (Hirohito Takeda)
Japan is said to have about 5 million mountaineers, but the number would likely be higher if hikers and recreational mountain climbers were included. There are also many older enthusiasts, and “easygoing mountaineering” is reportedly a trend. At the same time, more than 3,000 people are caught up in mountain accidents each year, and the number is said to be increasing.
In the prefectural city of Azumino, which looks out over the Northern Japanese Alps, a landslide occurred on a road leading to a trailhead on Aug. 8, temporarily stranding climbers and guests at mountain huts. Typhoon Chan-hom, which was downgraded to a tropical depression, also recently crossed Japan. As the weather can change quickly, it is important to keep a close eye on conditions when climbing and have the courage to turn back along the way.
A haiku poem by Kazuo Morita goes:
A cairn stands / facing the distant peak of Yari
(“Yoroku” is a front-page column in the Mainichi Shimbun.)