Japan boasts a number of outstanding areas of natural beauty, many of them designated as national parks or, in some cases, UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of the country's most spectacular of these is Chūbu-Sangaku National Park in the center of Honshu. Located in the park's northern and central regions is the group of mountains collectively referred to as the Hida Mountains, or Japanese Alps. This region contains some of the highest peaks in the country, including Hotaka at 3,190 meters, and Yari at 3,180 meters. Similar in many ways to the Alps of Central Europe - both in the character of the landscape and in its abundance of snow in winter - the Japanese Alps attract large numbers of walkers and climbers in summer and skiers in winter.
Food in the Japanese Alps
1. Oyaki Dumplings
Oyaki, from Nagano prefecture, are dumplings of fermented dough filled with vegetables and sweet bean paste. They’re a popular item eaten at lunch or with tea. The dough is made of buckwheat flour, the same kind used to make soba noodles, as pre-industrial Nagano was not a good area for rice production due to its steep mountains and cold climate. Traditionally, the dumplings are roasted in an iron pan over an indoor fire pit called an irori and then steamed or boiled. Common oyaki fillings include Japanese pumpkin, leeks, shimeji mushrooms, and other local seasonal vegetables.
2. Takayama Ramen
Takayama ramen, known locally as chuka soba or even just soba, is the style of ramen commonly found in the town of Hida-Takayama, located high in the mountains of Gifu prefecture. It features a dark yet refreshing soup broth made from clear spring water, katsuoboshi (bonito fish flakes), and soy sauce, while the noodles are thin and wavy. The most common toppings for Takayama ramen include char siu pork, menma bamboo shoots, and scallions.
3. Miso-Katsu
Aichi prefecture is famous for miso, with the common joke being that people from Aichi will put miso on anything! That joke proves true (at least this time) with miso-katsu, a crispy fried tonkatsu pork cutlet topped with red hatcho miso instead of the traditional vegetable-based tonkatsu sauce. Hatcho miso is a type of all-soybean miso—meaning no grain is added—that takes several years to produce, giving it a rich and intense flavor. Miso-katsu is typically served with finely shredded raw cabbage, which balances the richness of both the tonkatsu and the miso.
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