What is "One Hundred Mountains of Japan"?

Apparently, around 60% of Japan’s land is mountainous. No wonder there are so many mountains across the country. Among mountain lovers, there are many who make it their goal to climb the mountains known as Japan’s “100 Mountains of Japan.”

The “One Hundred Mountains of Japan” are the 100 mountains selected by Kyuya Fukada, a Japanese writer and mountaineer from what is now Kaga City in Ishikawa Prefecture, in his book Nihon Hyakumeizan (One Hundred Mountains of Japan), published in 1964.

The 100 mountains were not chosen simply by height. Fukada looked at each mountain as a whole -- the beauty of the mountain itself, including its character, history, and individuality, as well as what it has nurtured over time: the lives of the people who live around it, religious beliefs, literature, and more. He introduced these mountains as “famous mountains” because of this combination of qualities.

For this reason, traveling among Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains can be about much more than climbing. It offers opportunities to discover the diverse landscapes and cultures of Japan, and to experience the long relationship between people and mountains.

One of these 100 mountains is Mt. Hakusan. For Fukada, Hakusan was his “native mountain” and he described it almost as a guardian deity for locals there. Hakusan can be seen from many places in Ishikawa Prefecture, including Komatsu, Kaga, Noto and Kanazawa, as well as from Gifu and Fukui Prefectures on the other side of the mountain. Just as its name suggests—Haku-san, or “White Mountain”—it is covered in snow for more than half of the year. For centuries, it has been cherished by local people and revered as a sacred mountain.

Together with Mount Fuji and Mount Tateyama, Hakusan is also known as one of Japan’s Three Sacred Mountains. When late spring finally arrives and the snow on Hakusan begins to melt, the abundant water flows down from the mountain, nourishing the land all the way to the sea and supporting the lives of people along the way.

Shiramine, located at the foot of Hakusan, is one of the places where this relationship between the mountain and the lives of local people continues to this day.

Visit one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, take in the scenery, taste the local specialties, and discover the culture of the people who have lived there for generations.

There are many places across Japan where you can experience this kind of journey.

And Japan has more than just the 100 Famous Mountains. There are also the “300 Famous Mountains” or the “100 Mountains of Flowers,” etc.. If we look beyond Japan and turn our eyes to the rest of the world..., just how many “famous mountains” might there be?