Yatsugatake Mountains

Yatsugatake is a chain of volcanic peaks stretching south from the highlands east of Lake Suwa. The Natsuzawa Pass divides the range into northern and southern groups. In the south, long erosion has carved the old volcanoes into steep rocky ridges, crowned by Mount Akadake. Forests cover the lower slopes, while the higher summits rise above the trees, overlooking the basins of Shinano and Kai.