Mount Yari is located in the
Chūbu-Sangaku National Park. The name derives from its shape, which resembles a spear (槍
yari) thrust into the sky. Because of its shape, it is also called the
Matterhorn of Japan. Ridges and valleys reach out from this pyramid-shaped mountain in all directions. The four ridges are Higashikama (東鎌), Yarihotaka (槍穂高), Nishikama (西鎌) and Kitakama (北鎌) to the east, south, west and north, respectively. The four valleys are Yarizawa (槍沢), Hidazawa or Yaridaira (飛騨沢 or 槍平), Senjōzawa (千丈沢) and Tenjōzawa (天丈沢) to the southeast, southwest, northwest and northeast, respectively. During the hiking season, Mount Yari is popular with mountain climbers. One of the most infamous ridges is Kitakama. It became known through its association with mountaineer , who was a model for the novel
Kokō no Hito (孤高の人), by
Jirō Nitta, and it's manga adaptation of the same name by Shinichi Sakamoto(坂本眞一 , Sakamoto Shinichi). The disaster of told in
Fūsetsu no Bibāku (風雪のビバーク
Snowstorm Bivouac) also contributed to its fame. Despite the existence of variation routes, climbers stand in line for the famous routes during the summer. In the autumn of 2005, a new mountain trail was constructed going up from Hidarimata Valley (左俣谷
Hidarimata-dani) to Mount Okumaru (奥丸山
Okumaru-yama). This made it possible to reach Yari-ga-take walking from Shinhodaka onsen upstream along the Hidarimata Valley following the mountain ridge of Mount Okumaru. Two triangulation points were established at the summit. A milepost stone is fixed to the ground. As a reference point for the
Geographical Survey Institute of Japan, it is of little importance and even on topographic maps, the summit of Yari-ga-take appears merely as an elevation point. == Surroundings ==