Mt Yarigatake behind the clouds

The peak of Yarigatake (槍ヶ岳 3,180 m) is vaguely seen and barely within the frame near the upper left. This shot was incidental as I did not recognise the peak when I took this photo and noticed it when I was post-processing the image. It is the fifth highest mountain in Japan. The narrow ridge in the foreground leading to Yarigatake is part of a trail nicknamed Omote Ginza which means “main street of Ginza.” Ginza is an entertainment district in the downtown Tokyo, and the trail is so called as it can get so congested with mountaineers during the peak season in summer. Yarigatake means "spear peak," and there are many mountains named Yarigatake in Japan. They are distinguished by adding a toponym like Kashima Yarigatake (Kashima-yari) and Shirouma Yarigatake (Hakuba-yari) in Kita Alps. Only this Yarigatake is called without a toponym. The gorge/stream in the lower left part is called Yarisawa (槍沢) which is the source of the Azusa-gawa that flows south by way of Kamikouchi. The Takase-gawa river rises in the opposite northern slope of Yarigatake and flows north.

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