Hidaka Mountains
Encyclopedia
Hidaka Mountains is a mountain range
in southeastern Hokkaidō
, Japan
. It runs 150 km from Mount Sahoro
or Karikachi Pass
in central Hokkaidō south, running into the sea at Cape Erimo
. It consists of folded mountains that range from 1500 to 2000 metres in height. Mount Poroshiri
is the highest at 2052m. The Hidaka Mountains separate the subprefecture
s of Hidaka
and Tokachi
. Most of the range lies in the Hidaka Sanmyaku-Erimo Quasi-National Park
(日高山脈襟裳国定公園, hidaka-sanmyaku erimo kokutei-kōen). Since the mountain range lies so far north, the alpine climate zone lies at a lower altitude.
as part of the outer arc of the western end of the Kurile arc. They were formed by the uplift resulting from the collision with the Kurile arc and the Northeast Japan Arc. The Hidaka mountains no longer appear to be uplifting.
The western end of the range is high P/T metamorphoseed
Jurassic
accretionary complex
as part of the Kamuikotan belt. This is characterized by sedimentary rocks from the Cretaceous
and Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous periods. The eastern end of the range is tertiary metamorphic rock
as part of the Hidaka Metamorphic belt. This is characterized by low to medium pressure metamorphic rocks with sedimentary rocks from the Cretaceous-Lower Miocene. Plutonic rocks intrude into these structures. For the most part, the Hidaka mountains are composed of schist
s, migmatite
s, gneiss
es, and granite
s.
. This occurs above 1400 metres (4,593.2 ft), where one can find moraine
s and more than 20 cirque
s from Mount Kitatottabetsu
in the north to Mount Toyoni
in the south.
is known for endemic alpine plant life, such as . The Hidaka Mountains are also one of last refuges of the Hokkaidō Bear
(Ursus arctos yesoensis) and Hokkaidō Deer
(Cervus nippon yesoensis).
The mountains can be divided into four zones. The topmost zone (1400-1600m) is colonized by Siberian Dwarf Pine
and other alpine flora
. From 1200-1300m is occupied by Betula ermanii
. The zone above 500m is occupied by Picea jezoensis and Abies sachalinensis
along with broad-leafed trees. The lowest zone below 500m is occupied by broad-leafed trees, including Quercus mongolica
, Acer pictum subsp. mono
and Cercidiphyllum japonicum
.
Resident bird species include Hazel Grouse
, Black Woodpecker
, Great Spotted Woodpecker
, White-backed Woodpecker
, Goldcrest
, Eurasian Treecreeper, and Spotted Nutcracker
. Summer visitors to the Hidaka Mountains include Japanese Accentor
, Siberian Blue Robin
, Japanese Robin
, Red-flanked Bluetail
, Siberian Thrush
, Eastern Crowned Warbler
, Narcissus Flycatcher
, Blue-and-White Flycatcher
, Dark-sided Flycatcher
, Grey Bunting
, and Eurasian Bullfinch
. Notable bird species that transit the Hidaka mountains are Arctic Warbler
and Eyebrowed Thrush
.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in southeastern Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It runs 150 km from Mount Sahoro
Mount Sahoro
is located in the Hidaka Mountains, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the site of the Sahoro Ski Resort.There are two routes up the mountain:* Karikachi Pass route* Sahoro Ski Resort route-References:...
or Karikachi Pass
Karikachi Pass
is a mountain pass at the north end of the Hidaka Mountains of Hokkaidō, Japan. The pass traverses the mountains at and is long. The road is wide with a maximum grade of 5.3%. The minimum curve radius is . Snow is possible on the pass from October to May. Japan National Route 38 crosses the pass...
in central Hokkaidō south, running into the sea at Cape Erimo
Cape Erimo
is a cape in Hokkaidō, located at . It is the de facto southern tip of Hidaka Mountains.Hot and cold fronts meet nearby of the cape thus creating a dense mist which covers the cape for more than 100 days a year. Wind blows here with the speed of 10 m/s for almost 300 days a year...
. It consists of folded mountains that range from 1500 to 2000 metres in height. Mount Poroshiri
Mount Poroshiri
or sometimes Mount Horoshiri is located in the Hidaka Mountains, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the highest mountain in the Hidaka range, and is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan.-Nukabira course:The course is a two-day course....
is the highest at 2052m. The Hidaka Mountains separate the subprefecture
Subprefectures of Japan
Certain prefectures of Japan are now, or once were, divided into subprefectures. The subprefecture is the jurisdiction surrounding a of the prefectural government. Normally, the area of a subprefecture consists of a few to a dozen cities, towns, and/or villages. Subprefectures are formed to...
s of Hidaka
Hidaka Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaidō, Japan. The west side of the Hidaka mountains occupies most of the area. Hidaka is sparsely populated and has many of Hokkaidō's natural resources...
and Tokachi
Tokachi Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaidō, Japan corresponding to the old province of Tokachi. As of 2004 its estimated population is 360,802 and its area is 10,830.99 km².Tokachi-Obihiro Airport is in the city of Obihiro.- Geography :-Towns and villages by district:...
. Most of the range lies in the Hidaka Sanmyaku-Erimo Quasi-National Park
Hidaka Sanmyaku-Erimo Quasi-National Park
is the largest quasi-national park in Japan. The park includes the Hidaka Mountains and Cape Erimo and is located in southeast Hokkaidō. The park was designated Erimo Prefectural Park in 1950 and Erimo Prefectural Nature Park in 1958 until it was raised to a quasi-national in 1981...
(日高山脈襟裳国定公園, hidaka-sanmyaku erimo kokutei-kōen). Since the mountain range lies so far north, the alpine climate zone lies at a lower altitude.
Geology
The Hidaka Mountains formed in the late QuaternaryQuaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
as part of the outer arc of the western end of the Kurile arc. They were formed by the uplift resulting from the collision with the Kurile arc and the Northeast Japan Arc. The Hidaka mountains no longer appear to be uplifting.
The western end of the range is high P/T metamorphoseed
Metamorphism
Metamorphism is the solid-state recrystallization of pre-existing rocks due to changes in physical and chemical conditions, primarily heat, pressure, and the introduction of chemically active fluids. Mineralogical, chemical and crystallographic changes can occur during this process...
Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
accretionary complex
Accretionary wedge
An accretionary wedge or accretionary prism is formed from sediments that are accreted onto the non-subducting tectonic plate at a convergent plate boundary...
as part of the Kamuikotan belt. This is characterized by sedimentary rocks from the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
and Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous periods. The eastern end of the range is tertiary metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
as part of the Hidaka Metamorphic belt. This is characterized by low to medium pressure metamorphic rocks with sedimentary rocks from the Cretaceous-Lower Miocene. Plutonic rocks intrude into these structures. For the most part, the Hidaka mountains are composed of schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
s, migmatite
Migmatite
Migmatite is a rock at the frontier between igneous and metamorphic rocks. They can also be known as diatexite.Migmatites form under extreme temperature conditions during prograde metamorphism, where partial melting occurs in pre-existing rocks. Migmatites are not crystallized from a totally...
s, gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
es, and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
s.
Glaciation
The Hidaka mountains are the only mountains in Hokkaidō to show evidence of glaciationGlacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
. This occurs above 1400 metres (4,593.2 ft), where one can find moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
s and more than 20 cirque
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
s from Mount Kitatottabetsu
Mount Kitatottabetsu
or Mount North Tottabetsu is located in the Hidaka Mountains, Hokkaidō, Japan.-References:* * *...
in the north to Mount Toyoni
Mount Toyoni (Urakawa-Hiroo)
is located in the Hidaka Mountains, Hokkaidō, Japan.-References:* * *...
in the south.
Flora and fauna
Mount ApoiMount Apoi
is located in the Hidaka Mountains, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is near the town of Samani. It is well known for hosting a large number of plants that are found only on Hokkaidō, such as...
is known for endemic alpine plant life, such as . The Hidaka Mountains are also one of last refuges of the Hokkaidō Bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
(Ursus arctos yesoensis) and Hokkaidō Deer
Sika Deer
The Sika Deer, Cervus nippon, also known as the Spotted Deer or the Japanese Deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to various other parts of the world...
(Cervus nippon yesoensis).
The mountains can be divided into four zones. The topmost zone (1400-1600m) is colonized by Siberian Dwarf Pine
Siberian Dwarf Pine
Pinus pumila is a native to northeastern Asia, including the islands of Japan. This shrubby pine ranges from 1–3 m in height, exceptionally up to 5 m, but may have individual branches that extend farther along the ground in length...
and other alpine flora
Alpine plant
Alpine plants are plants that grow in the alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. Alpine plants grow together as a plant community in alpine tundra.-Alpine plant diversity:...
. From 1200-1300m is occupied by Betula ermanii
Betula ermanii
Betula ermanii, or Erman's Birch, is a tree species belonging to the family Betulaceae. It is an extremely variable species and can be found in Japan, Kuriles, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, and Korea. It can grow to be 20 m tall...
. The zone above 500m is occupied by Picea jezoensis and Abies sachalinensis
Abies sachalinensis
Abies sachalinensis is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is found in Sakhalin island and southern Kurils , and also in northern Hokkaido ....
along with broad-leafed trees. The lowest zone below 500m is occupied by broad-leafed trees, including Quercus mongolica
Quercus mongolica
Quercus mongolica, commonly known as Mongolian Oak, is a species of oak native to Japan, southern Kuriles, Sakhalin, Manchuria, Korea, eastern Mongolia, and eastern Siberia. The species can grow to be 30 m tall....
, Acer pictum subsp. mono
Acer pictum subsp. mono
Acer pictum subsp. mono, commonly known as Painted Maple or Mono Maple in English, or Ezo Itaya in Japan, or 五角枫 in China, is a species of maple.-Description:...
and Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Cercidiphyllum japonicum, known as the Japanese Judas-tree, is a species of flowering tree in the Cercidiphyllaceae family that commonly goes by the name Katsura tree. It is native to China and Japan. The tree is deciduous and grows to 40 to 60 feet. Its leaves are round. The tree flowers in March...
.
Resident bird species include Hazel Grouse
Hazel Grouse
The Hazel Grouse or Hazel Hen is one of the smaller members of the grouse family of birds. It is a sedentary species, breeding across northern Eurasia and central and eastern Europe in dense, damp, mixed coniferous woodland, preferably with some spruce.The nest is on the ground, and 3–6 eggs is...
, Black Woodpecker
Black Woodpecker
The Black Woodpecker, Dryocopus martius, is a large woodpecker, 45–50 cm long with a 64–84 cm wingspan. Body weight is approximately 300-400 grams on average. It is easily the largest woodpecker in its range...
, Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
The Great Spotted Woodpecker , Dendrocopos major, is a bird species of the woodpecker family . It is distributed throughout Europe and northern Asia, and usually resident year-round except in the colder parts of its range...
, White-backed Woodpecker
White-backed Woodpecker
The White-backed Woodpecker is a Eurasian woodpecker belonging to the genus Dendrocopos.It is the largest of the spotted woodpeckers in the western Palearctic, 24–26 cm long with wing-span 38–40 cm and has plumage similar to the Great Spotted Woodpecker, but with white bars across the...
, Goldcrest
Goldcrest
The Goldcrest, Regulus regulus, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers gives rise to its English and scientific names, and possibly to it being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore. Several subspecies are recognised across the very...
, Eurasian Treecreeper, and Spotted Nutcracker
Spotted Nutcracker
The Spotted Nutcracker, Eurasian Nutcracker, or just Nutcracker, is a passerine bird slightly larger than the Eurasian Jay. It has a much larger bill and a slimmer looking head without any crest. The feathering over its body is predominantly a chocolate brown with distinct white spots and streaks...
. Summer visitors to the Hidaka Mountains include Japanese Accentor
Japanese Accentor
The Japanese Accentor is a species of bird in the Prunellidae family. It is found in Japan and Russia.Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27 July 2007....
, Siberian Blue Robin
Siberian Blue Robin
The Siberian Blue Robin, Luscinia cyane, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, family Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chats...
, Japanese Robin
Japanese Robin
The Japanese Robin or komadori is a songbird. Recent research suggests that the East Asian robins belong into a new genus uniting them with some East Asian Luscinias such as the Siberian Blue Robin.The name "Japanese Robin" is also sometimes used for the Red-billed Leiothrix .The specific name...
, Red-flanked Bluetail
Red-flanked Bluetail
The Red-flanked Bluetail , also known as the Orange-flanked Bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
, Siberian Thrush
Siberian Thrush
The Siberian Thrush, Zoothera sibirica, is a member of the Thrush family Turdidae.It breeds in taiga in Siberia. It is strongly migratory, with most birds moving to southeastern Asia during the winter. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. It is very secretive.The Siberian Thrush is similar...
, Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
The Eastern Crowned Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the family Phylloscopidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam...
, Narcissus Flycatcher
Narcissus Flycatcher
The Narcissus Flycatcher is a passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It is native to east Asia, from Sakhalin to the north, through Japan across through Korea, mainland China, and Taiwan, wintering in southeast Asia, including the Philippines and Borneo...
, Blue-and-White Flycatcher
Blue-and-White Flycatcher
The Blue-and-white Flycatcher, Cyanoptila cyanomelana is a migratory songbird. It breeds in Japan, Korea, and in parts of China and Russia. It winters in South East Asia, especially in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra and Borneo.-References:...
, Dark-sided Flycatcher
Dark-sided Flycatcher
The Dark-sided Flycatcher is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Muscicapa in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It has a wide distribution in Asia with northern birds migrating south for the winter. It is also known as the Siberian Flycatcher or Sooty Flycatcher, the latter...
, Grey Bunting
Grey Bunting
The Grey Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.It is found in China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States.Its natural habitats are boreal forests and temperate forests.-References:...
, and Eurasian Bullfinch
Eurasian Bullfinch
The Bullfinch, Common Bullfinch or Eurasian Bullfinch is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. In Anglophone Europe it is known simply as Bullfinch, as it is the original bird to bear the name bullfinch.This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia...
. Notable bird species that transit the Hidaka mountains are Arctic Warbler
Arctic Warbler
The Arctic Warbler, Phylloscopus borealis, is a widespread leaf warbler in birch or mixed birch forest near water throughout its breeding range in Fennoscandia and northern Asia. It has established a foothold in North America, breeding in Alaska. This warbler is strongly migratory; the entire...
and Eyebrowed Thrush
Eyebrowed Thrush
The Eyebrowed Thrush, Turdus obscurus, is a member of the thrush family Turdidae.It breeds in dense coniferous forest and taiga eastwards from Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering south to southeast Asia and Indonesia. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe.It nests in trees, laying 4-6...
.
List of passes and tunnels
The major passes and tunnels through the Hidaka Mountains are as follows:- Hidaka PassHidaka Passis a mountain pass in the north-end of the Hidaka Mountains of Hokkaidō, Japan. The pass traverses the mountains at and is long. The road is wide with a maximum grade of 6%. The minimum curve radius is . Snow is possible on the pass from October to April. Japan National Route 237 crosses the...
- Karikachi PassKarikachi Passis a mountain pass at the north end of the Hidaka Mountains of Hokkaidō, Japan. The pass traverses the mountains at and is long. The road is wide with a maximum grade of 5.3%. The minimum curve radius is . Snow is possible on the pass from October to May. Japan National Route 38 crosses the pass...
- Nisshō PassNissho Passis a mountain pass high at the north-end of the Hidaka Mountains of Hokkaidō, Japan. The roadbed traverses the pass through the Nisshō Pass Tunnel is at . The pass is long. The road is wide with a maximum grade of 6.2%. The minimum curve radius is . Snow is possible on the pass from October to...
and tunnel - Nozuka pass and tunnelNozuka Passis a mountain pass in the south-end of the Hidaka Mountains of Hokkaidō, Japan. The pass is at , but Japan National Route 236 uses the , which passes below the pass. The pass is long. The road is wide with a maximum grade of 6%. The minimum curve radius is . Snow is possible on the pass from...
List of peaks by height
Mountains of the Hidaka range in order of elevation:| Name | Height |
|---|---|
| 2052.8 metres (6,734.9 ft) | |
| 1979.4 metres (6,494.1 ft) | |
| 1959 metres (6,427.2 ft) | |
| 1916.5 metres (6,287.7 ft) | |
| 1912 metres (6,273 ft) | |
| 1902 metres (6,240.2 ft) | |
| 1895.5 metres (6,218.8 ft) | |
| 1879.9 metres (6,167.7 ft) | |
| 1846 metres (6,056.4 ft) | |
| 1842 metres (6,043.3 ft) | |
| 1807.9 metres (5,931.4 ft) | |
| 1799.1 metres (5,902.6 ft) | |
| 1794.3 metres (5,886.8 ft) | |
| 1792 metres (5,879.3 ft) | |
| 1756.1 metres (5,761.5 ft) | |
| 1753.7 metres (5,753.6 ft) | |
| 1752 metres (5,748 ft) | |
| 1750.1 metres (5,741.8 ft) | |
| 1746 metres (5,728.3 ft) | |
| 1740 metres (5,708.7 ft) | |
| 1736.2 metres (5,696.2 ft) | |
| 1731.3 metres (5,680.1 ft) | |
| 1727.3 metres (5,667 ft) | |
| 1721 metres (5,646.3 ft) | |
| 1630.8 metres (5,350.4 ft) | |
| 1627.9 metres (5,340.9 ft) | |
| 1626.9 metres (5,337.6 ft) | |
| 1625 metres (5,331.4 ft) | |
| 1600.5 metres (5,251 ft) | |
| 1587.7 metres (5,209 ft) | |
| 1532 metres (5,026.2 ft) | |
| 1519 metres (4,983.6 ft) | |
| 1497.7 metres (4,913.7 ft) | |
| 1493 metres (4,898.3 ft) | |
| 1491.8 metres (4,894.4 ft) | |
| 1476.7 metres (4,844.8 ft) | |
| 1471.9 metres (4,829.1 ft) | |
| 1457.2 metres (4,780.8 ft) | |
| 1437.9 metres (4,717.5 ft) | |
| 1422 metres (4,665 ft) | |
| 1411.7 metres (4,631.6 ft) | |
| 1405.6 metres (4,611.5 ft) | |
| 1379 metres (4,524.3 ft) | |
| 1362 metres (4,468.5 ft) | |
| 1353.2 metres (4,439.6 ft) | |
| 1350.4 metres (4,430.4 ft) | |
| 1341.4 metres (4,400.9 ft) | |
| 1331 metres (4,366.8 ft) | |
| 1323.2 metres (4,341.2 ft) | |
| 1307.7 metres (4,290.4 ft) | |
| 1239.3 metres (4,065.9 ft) | |
| 1231 metres (4,038.7 ft) | |
| 1205.1 metres (3,953.7 ft) | |
| 1175 metres (3,855 ft) | |
| 1166.9 metres (3,828.4 ft) | |
| 1105 metres (3,625.3 ft) | |
| 1097.7 metres (3,601.4 ft) | |
| 1089 metres (3,572.8 ft) | |
| 1059.5 metres (3,476 ft) | |
| 1027.4 metres (3,370.7 ft) | |
| 1021.7 metres (3,352 ft) | |
| 958.2 metres (3,143.7 ft) | |
| 932 metres (3,057.7 ft) | |
| 895 metres (2,936.4 ft) | |
| 872.3 metres (2,861.9 ft) | |
| 810.6 metres (2,659.4 ft) | |
| 754 metres (2,473.8 ft) | |
| 725.3 metres (2,379.6 ft) | |
| 666 metres (2,185 ft) | |
| 271 metres (889.1 ft) | |
| 117 metres (383.9 ft) |