Five Enchanted Realms of the Japanese Alps

A hunter who has worked the valleys of the upper Ōi River for thirty years and has never once stood on a ridgeline. A riverbed island of poplars where fuki is simmered for supper while lightning flickers all night. A prince of the imperial house crossing the Shirane peaks with fifty porters and a basket of army pigeons. A plateau of snow and alpine roses where four bears are seen in a single afternoon.

Kogure Ritarō was one of the pioneers of Japanese mountaineering, and these five pieces, first published between 1920 and 1930, show the Japanese Alps in the years when they were still being explored: the wild Southern Alps, the forgotten summit of Asahi-dake, the first failed attempts on Kita-dake, and an essay comparing the two great ranges, from snow and cirques to forests, hot springs and wildlife. His plea to protect the last "enchanted realms" from crowds and careless camping still sounds fresh.

Each work is translated complete from the Japanese, with a translator's note, endnotes on places, plants, units and customs, and source information.