Kamikochi Bus Terminal

The camera looks out over the bus terminal area in Kamikochi, a valley in the Northern Japan Alps. Behind the terminal, the Hotaka range rises above forests of larch and other alpine trees. The open sky above the peaks and the steady flow of arriving and departing visitors make the scene easy to recognise as a mountain gateway.

Early morning is often the clearest time, when the valley is quiet and the peaks stand out against the sky. Autumn brings changing colours to the larch forests, while spring and early summer show fresh green. Weather shifts quickly in the mountains, so cloud and mist can move in and out over the course of a day.

Kamikochi sits in a high valley of the Northern Japan Alps and is a starting point for walks along the Azusa River and toward the surrounding peaks. The area is protected as part of a national park, and visitors come for hiking, river views and mountain scenery. The bus terminal is the main access point, as private cars are restricted in the valley.