Национальный парк Читибу-Тама-Кай: горы, храмы и природа Японии

National park in Kantō, Japan

Chichibu Tama Kai National Park (秩父多摩甲斐国立公園) is a national park in Japan at the intersection of Saitama, Yamanashi, Nagano and Tokyo Prefectures. With eight peaks over 2000 m scattered over 1250 km2, there are numerous hiking trails and ancient shrines. The best known landmarks are , home to the 2000 year old 三峯神社; and Mount Mitake, with the 武蔵御嶽神社. The park has sources of major rivers such as the Arakawa River, Shinano River, Tama River, and Fuefuki River (Fuji River).

The major points of interest are Mount Mitake , Mount Odake and Mount Mito
Mount Mitake is positioned on the eastern border of the national park. It has been worshiped as a sacred mountain from the time of antiquity. On its peak stands a Shinto shrine, Musashi Mitake Shrine (武蔵御嶽神社), which was established during the reign of Emperor Sujin in 90 B. C. The building houses a Zaōgonge Statue made in 736. At present, a cable car service allows visitors easy access. Mount Mito consists of three peaks: the Western Peak (1,527 m), Central Peak (1,531 m), and Eastern Peak (1,528 m). The mountain is part of a northern section of the Oku takao Ridge (奥高尾縦走路) that runs northeast from Mount Takao, Hachiōji, Tokyo. The mountain is famous for its forest of Fagus japonica and was voted to be one of the best 100 mountains in Japan in 1997. It is also the source of the Aki River, a major tributary of the Tama River.

The main attractions are the Tochimoto Sekisho Historical Site (栃本関所跡) and Nakatsu Canyon (中津峡). The location of the Tochimoto Sekisho Historical Site sits at the junction of the Chichibu Trail that goes through the Karisaka Pass toward Kōshū and the Shinshū Route heading for Shinshū through the Jūmonji Pass. Although the site at present is located in a small settlement on the mountains, at its heyday, many travelers went through this location. The historic site offers a glimpse of that period when the path was frequented by travelers. Nakatsu Canyon is a canyon that extends roughly 10 km and is carved by the Nakatsu River, a tributary of the Arakawa River. In particular, around in November many visitors are attracted to this location for fall foliage. A portion of old railway tracks, Shirnrin Railway, is visible on the opposite side of the river.

The major point of interest is the Chikuma River Upstream Course (千曲川源流コース). The popular route is a mountainous trail stretching from Mōkiba (毛木場) to Mount Kobushi (甲武信岳). Mōkiba is famous for azaleas in June and an entrance to the Jūmonji Pass (十文字峠). Mount Kobushi is a mountain that sits between the border between Saitama Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture, rising to 2,475 m above sea level. One theory for the origins of the name accounts that the three characters Ko (甲), Bu (武), and Shin (信) stand for the initial characters of the old provinces Kai Province (Kōshū), Musashi Province (Bushū), and Shinano Province (Shinshū). The mountain is also known as the source of the Chikuma River, the Nagano Prefecture portion of the Shinano River.

There are three visitor centers Mitake Visitor Center, Okutama Visitor Center, and Yama no furusato Visitor Center.