Daisetsuzan National Park: Official Guide Collection for Alpine Terrain Exploration

Japan's great snowy mountains, a volcanic alpine wilderness in the heart of Hokkaido

Daisetsuzan National Park

Daisetsuzan National Park represents one of Japan's most significant protected mountain wilderness areas, encompassing a vast volcanic landscape in the heart of Hokkaido. The park's creation in 1934 marked a milestone in Japanese conservation history, establishing protection for a landscape that had long been revered as a sacred mountain environment. The geological foundation of the park consists of three volcanic mountain groups, each containing stratovolcanoes that have built up over geological time as successive vents became active and constructed peaks before becoming dormant. The Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group in the north contains the park's most dramatic elevations, including Mount Asahi, which at 2,290 meters stands as the absolute highest point in Hokkaido. The Tokachi Volcanic Group occupies the southwestern portion of the park, lying north of the Yubari and Hidaka Mountains, while the Shikaribetsu Volcanic Group dominates the eastern section around Mount Ishikari. These volcanic groups surround a central highland area centered on Mount Tomuraushi, creating a complex mountain landscape that offers both accessible alpine environments and true wilderness backcountry. The park's significance extends beyond its geological features to encompass remarkable biodiversity, with the forests supporting characteristic subalpine tree species and the alpine zones protecting specialized plant communities that have adapted to the harsh high-elevation environment.