View towards the Northern Japan Alps, near Shin-Hotaka, Gifu

The Japan Alps (日本アルプス Nihon Arupusu) are the common name of the mountain range running down the spine of the main Japanese island Honshu. The name is only somewhat hyperbolic, as the Alps include nearly of all of Japan's tallest mountains (with the notable exception of Mount Fuji), many of them over 3000 meters and capped with snow well into the summer.

[edit] Regions

The Japan Alps are typically divided into three sections, which also have their own alternative names:

• The Northern Alps (北アルプス Kita Arupusu), aka the Hida Mountains (飛騨山脈 Hida-sanmyaku), in the Oku-Hida region of Gifu prefecture
• The Central Alps (中央アルプス Chūō Arupusu), aka the Kiso Mountains (木曽山脈 Kiso-sanmyaku), mostly in Nagano prefecture
• The Southern Alps (南アルプス Minami Arupusu), aka the Akashi Mountains (赤石山脈 Akashi-sanmyaku) in Nagano, Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures