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Chasing Light on the Slopes of Mt. Mitsumine・丘に溶け込む一本の木・三峰山での風景
Located at an elevation of 1,773 meters (5,816 ft), the slopes of Mt. Mitsumine (三峰山; Mitsumine-yama) rise as one of the taller peaks on the plateau of the Kirigamine Highlands (霧ヶ峰高原; Kirigamine-kōgen), about 210 km (130 mi) northwest of Tokyo. From Yokohama, it took me only three hours by expressway, thanks to leaving home at around 4:00 a.m., thus avoiding the morning rush hour.
Mt. Mitsumine is an extinct volcano formed during the Late Pliocene to early Pleistocene, roughly 1.5 to 0.75 million years ago. Unlike Mt. Fuji, it is not especially tall, which allows for the growth of lush vegetation. Still, tall trees struggle here, as the volcanic soil of these highlands makes it difficult for them to thrive.
This particular shot was a challenge. With the late-morning sun directly overhead, it was almost impossible to create separation between the small tree in the mid-ground and the rolling hills beyond.
I couldn’t help but wonder: had I arrived at golden hour, would the low morning light from the right have cast shadows across the left side of the tree, adding the depth and contrast I was looking for?
One day, I’d like to come back when the light shifts or the seasons turn to see if I can make this tree stand out from its camouflage in the hills.
- Location: Mt. Mitsumine, Nagano, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025-07-30・08:14
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- 58 mm ISO 100 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/5.6
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Dale-chan’s Break Among Bamboo Leaves
デールちゃん、涼しい高原でひと休み
Dale-chan, my loyal border collie, turned 12 this year. These days, even though she needs a little more time when we take on mountain trails, her spirit is as strong as ever.
The hike to the peak of Mt. Mitsumine was fortunately a gentle slope, and the cool summer air made it easier for her to stride ahead and show me the way.
Every so often she pauses to rest, and I’m always grateful for those quiet breaks together on the trail.
- Location: Mt. Mitsumine, Nagano, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025-07-30・08:16
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- 95 mm ISO 100 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/5.6
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From Mt. Mitsumine to the Utsukushigahara Highlands
三峰山から広がる、美しが原高原の眺め
From the peak of Mt. Mitsumine (三峰山; Mitsumine-yama), looking north, you can spot the highest point of the Utsukushigahara Highlands (美しが丘高原; Utsukushigahara-Kogen). At 2,034 meters (6,673 ft), its summit is crowned with numerous antennas that serve as relay towers for digital TV broadcasting, radio stations, and cellular networks across the region.
I previously visited the Utsukushigahara Highlands in August 2022, where I shared both photos and video from that trip. Standing here on Mt. Mitsumine and seeing those familiar peaks from a new perspective is a reminder of how interconnected these mountains are and how each visit reveals something different, depending on where you’re standing.
- Location: Mt. Mitsumine, Nagano, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025-07-30・08:17
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- 105 mm ISO 100 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/5.6
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Where Green Slopes Meet White Birch・三峰山の緑の斜面と白樺との出会い
Climbing down from the peak of Mt. Mitsumine, my eye caught a small grove of Japanese white birch (Betula platyphylla) clustered in a gully along the slope. Their pale trunks slightly stood out against the vivid green hillside, and I imagined how striking this view must become in autumn, when golden leaves contrast even more sharply with the surrounding greenery.
Japanese white birch (白樺; shirakaba) thrive across the Kirigamine Highlands of Nagano, flourishing at elevations around 1,500 meters. For some older Japanese, these trees evoke memories of highland recreation. After World War II, as outdoor leisure gained popularity, birch-lined resorts became symbols of sophistication and escape for urban dwellers. Nowadays, some birch forests promote themselves as ideal date spots, or a forest bathing destination.
Today, the highlands remain just as inviting, though far more accessible. Well-maintained roads, free parking, and modern attractions including museums, cafés, restaurants, hotels, and ski slopes make it easy for anyone to experience both the natural beauty of these highland landscapes.
- Location: Mt. Mitsumine, Nagano, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025-07-30・08:25
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- 68 mm ISO 200 for 1/400 sec. at ƒ/4.5
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Layers of Green: Mt. Mitsumine and Highlands of Nagano長野県三峰山と霧ヶ峰高原の変わりゆく風景
In the foreground, the slopes of Mt. Mitsumine are blanketed with dwarf bamboo (Sasa kurilensis). Native to Japan, these hardy plants thrive in the cool-temperate forests of alpine elevations, particularly where winter fronts sweep in from the Sea of Japan, which is only about 98 km (61 miles) away due northwest.
However, in the context of the Kirigamine Highlands, which includes Mt. Mitsumine, dwarf bamboo tells a different story. After World War II, when grazing pastures for dairy cattle were abandoned, bamboo spread unchecked across the highlands, crowding out native grasses and wildflowers. Today, volunteers regularly cut back the bamboo to slow its expansion and encourage the recovery of native species.
In the background, the densely wooded slopes are dominated by sugi (Japanese cedar). Once prized as a key building material during Japan’s postwar reconstruction, sugi plantations now pose a different challenge. With cheaper lumber imported from overseas, many cedar forests are no longer economically viable. Left unmanaged, these monocultures limit biodiversity and make it harder for native plants, trees, birds, and wildlife to thrive in what would otherwise be a richly varied ecosystem.
Yet despite these environmental struggles, I still find this landscape deeply beautiful. The vivid greens of summer, the rolling contours of the slopes, and the stillness of the highlands offer me a kind of spiritual and physical relief from the relentless pace of urban life in Yokohama.
- Location: Mt. Mitsumine, Nagano, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025-07-30・08:30
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- 68 mm ISO 200 for 1/400 sec. at ƒ/4.5
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