Yarigatake: The Matterhorn of Japan


This was the first recorded ascent of the peak which is now revered by climbers across the country, and it occurred in July 1828; some 37 years before Wimper became the first person to climb the Matterhorn.




On the 12th August 1909 the 17 year old Akutagawa reached the top together with 3 classmates. You can read about his exploits in the mountains in works such as “Diary of my Mt Yari Ascent” and “Mt Yari Journal.” 1
Recreational hiking in Japan is relatively new in the nation's long history: the mountains were con- sidered foreboding and inhospi- table, the realm of mountain priests and the gods, until a pair of Englishmen, William Gowland and Walter Weston, climbed them in the late 19th century.
Gowland dubbed the region "The Japan Alps" while Weston's lectures and books introduced the region to Japanese and foreigners alike. 2

Banryu scaled Yari-ga-take and other major peaks as part of his religious devotion. 3
a statue of him stands today.
Labels: ferdinand hodler, frances gearhart, hiroshi yoshida, martha cunz, toshi yoshida, vallotton, william wendt
2 Comments:
Beautiful post. Must find away to get to Japan soon. I am working on a project based on Japan at the moment and find your blog invaluable. Thank you so much.
thank you so much, roland. i hope you get there soon. i would love to know more about your project.
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hi, and thanks so much for stopping by. i spend all too much time thinking my own thoughts about this stuff, so please tell me yours. i thrive on the exchange!
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