Karasawa Cirque

Karasawa Cirque (涸沢カール, Karasawa ka-ru) is one of major glacial cirques in Japan, located in the Kamikochi region of Azumi, Matsumoto City, in Nagano prefecture.

Karasawa Cirque lies under the peaks of Mount Hotakadake, including its highest Mount Okuhatakadake (3,190m), in the Hida Mountains or Northern Japanese Alps.

Other important locations include: Shirade Col (白出のコル) where Hotakadake mountain cottage (穂高岳山荘, Hotakadake sansou), built in 1924, is located at 2983m; and a ridge, Seitengrat (ザイテングラート) which leads to Mount Okuhatakadake.

[3] Karasawa Cirque is the center for mountaineering Mount Hotakadake, and is filled with tents in summer.

[7] Geographer Tomoya Iozawa advocated two stages of glaciers in Japan through reading aerial photographs of Japanese Alps.