Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park (秩父多摩甲斐国立公園, Chichibu Tama Kai Kokuritsu Kōen) is a national park in Japan where the areas of Saitama, Yamanashi, Nagano, and Tokyo Prefectures meet.
The park has eight mountains taller than 2000 meters spread across 1250 km. It includes many hiking paths and old shrines. The most famous places are Mount Mitsumine (三峰山, Mitsumine-san), which has the Mitsumine Shrine that is more than 2000 years old, and Mount Mitake, which has the Musashi-Mitake Shrine. The park is also the starting point for major rivers, including the Arakawa River, Shinano River, Tama River, and Fuefuki River (Fuji River).
Popular areas
The main points of interest include Mount Mitake (929 m or 3,048 ft), Mount Odake (1,266 m or 4,154 ft), and Mount Mito (1,528 m or 5,013 ft).
Mount Mitake is located on the eastern edge of the national park. It has been considered a sacred mountain since ancient times. At its peak, there is a Shinto shrine called Musashi-Mitake Shrine, which was built during the reign of Emperor Sujin in 90 B.C. Inside the shrine is a statue called the Zaōgonge Statue, created in 736. Today, a cable car service helps visitors reach the mountain easily.
Mount Mito has three peaks: the Western Peak (1,527 m), the Central Peak (1,531 m), and the Eastern Peak (1,528 m). The mountain is part of the northern section of the Oku-takao Ridge, which runs northeast from Mount Takao in Hachiōji, Tokyo. Mount Mito is famous for its forest of Fagus japonica trees and was named one of Japan’s 100 best mountains in 1997. It is also the source of the Aki River, a major river that flows into the Tama River.
Important attractions include the Tochimoto Sekisho Historical Site and Nakatsu Canyon.
The Tochimoto Sekisho Historical Site is located where the Chichibu Trail, which goes through the Karisaka Pass toward Kōshū, and the Shinshū Route, which leads through the Jūmonji Pass toward Shinshū, meet. Although the site is now in a small mountain village, it was once a busy stop for travelers. The site shows what life was like during that time.
Nakatsu Canyon is a canyon about 10 km long, carved by the Nakatsu River, a smaller river that flows into the Arakawa River. Many visitors come to see the colorful fall leaves in November.
Other major attractions include the Daibosatsu Pass, Mitake Shosēn Gorge, and Nishizawa Canyon.
The Daibosatsu Pass is famous for being mentioned in the novel The Sword of Doom by Kaizan Nakazato. It is located between Kōshū and Kosuge in Yamanashi Prefecture and reaches an elevation of 1,897 m. A nearby mountain, Mount Daibosatsu, is 2,057 m high. The pass is also called the “Hagiwara Road,” “Daibosatsu Road,” or “Oume Way.” Historically, it was a key but difficult part of the Oume Route, an alternate path to the Kōshū Kaidō, which connected Musashi Province and Kai Province. In 1878, traffic was redirected to the Yanagisawa Pass. In recent years, a mountain hut was built nearby. The area has grasslands with fireweed flowers, and many hikers visit in May and October to see the flowers and autumn leaves. A cable car connects the area to the Kamihikawa Pass.
The Mitake Shosēn Gorge is a canyon carved by a river that flows into the Fuefuki River on the northern side of the Kōfu Basin. It is sometimes called the Shosēn Gorge. The river has shaped granite rocks into interesting shapes. In 2008, the location was listed among Japan’s 100 best waterways by the Ministry of the Environment. The area is home to many birds. Visitors began visiting during the Edo period through the Kōshū Kaidō. In 1964, a ropeway was built, and in 1972, a turnpike was opened, making it a popular tourist spot. During holidays, traffic jams and parking difficulties often occur. In 1992, a museum called the Shosēnkyō Museum of Art, which displays shadow play and kirigami, was built nearby.
Nishizawa Canyon is a canyon carved by the Fuefuki River upstream of Hirose Lake. It is located in the northern part of Yamanashi Prefecture, near Hirose Lake, Mount Kurogane, Mount Kokushi, Mount Kita Okusenjō, Mount Okusenjō, Mount Tosaka, and Mount Kobushi. The entrance to the canyon is along National Route 140, near a rest area called Roadside Station Mitomi and the Karisaka Tunnel. The canyon has waterfalls, stream pools, and well-maintained trails. At the end of the trail is the Nanatsugama-godan Fall, one of Japan’s 100 best waterfalls. Old railway tracks from the Shirin Railway are visible on the opposite side of the river.
A major point of interest is the Chikuma River Upstream Course. A popular trail runs from Mōkiba to Mount Kobushi. Mōkiba is known for its azaleas in June and is the entrance to the Jūmonji Pass. Mount Kobushi is located on the border of Saitama Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture and rises to 2,475 m. One theory about the mountain’s name is that the characters Ko, Bu, and Shin represent the first characters of the old provinces Kōshū, Bushū, and Shinshū. The mountain is also the source of the Chikuma River, which is part of the Shinano River in Nagano Prefecture.
Visitor centers
There are three visitor centers: Mitake Visitor Center, Okutama Visitor Center, and Yama-no-furusato Visitor Center.