A past walk through alpine flowers

Here is a memory of my walk around the Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden in 2016.

June 10th, 2016

At the Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden opened in 1933, approximately 1,500 species of rear alpine plants worldwide and plants in cold climates are cultivate. Wild plants of Mt. Rokko grow as well. Located at 865m above sea level, plants grow in a near-native environment.

The Alpine Plants District is composed of three, Hymalayan, European, and Japanese district.

- At Hymalayan district -

I was looking for Himalayan Blue Poppy, knowing its season is almost over, 

but some lingering flowers caught my eyes. 

Since I saw a spectacular landscape of Blue Poppy on my blog friend’s blog, 

I’ve had a longing for the blue flower.
This is the only place in the western Japan where you can see Blue Poppies outdoors.

A blue tissue-paper flower.

There are apurple ones, too.

 -At European district -

"Small and white, clean and bright...."
Leontopodium alpinum, or edelweiss 

Geranium dalmaticum

- At Japanese district -

Ezo-ruri-so, Mertensia pterocarpa var. yezoensis, or Japanese Blue Bells

Pink buds open to sapphire-blue tubular flowers. 

Koma-kusa, or Dicentra peregrinak

"Koma" means a colt. The flower looks like the face of a horse

Some other charming flowers of which name I don't know.

"Ko-ajisai", small Japanese Hydrangea, or Hydrangea hirta,

grow wild in the dappled shadow of the Rokko Mountains.

Small bluish purple flowers don't have ornamental flowers

different from other Hydrangea genus.

"Kurin-so", Japanese Primrose, at their final stage.

The green stems with seed pods were shining in the late afternoon sun.

Dripping green essence from the green ceiling.

Finish of the tour was a nice tea time in the shower of green.

Now, June, 2020, it has been like late July with temperature soaring to 32-22 degrees C.

The rainy season set in five days ago will last till mid-July.

It is forecast rains of this year won't be gentle but downpouring mostly.

Hydrangeas, floral symbol of Japanese rainy season, are in full bloom.

From my garden

Linked to Mosaic Monday
Thank you, Angie, for hosting.

Senjojiki Cirque at the Central Japan Alps

Hello, Friends!  How have you enjoyed or survived this summer?   Though these days’ 32 to 34 degrees C feels relatively cool compared to the unexpected 37 degrees  C experienced during the rainy season, the hot and humid weather is exhausting.  Summer means to me lots of  spending indoors, occasional outing at night, and travelling to highlands and mountains.  Today’s post is from my recent trip to Kiso region including highlands, mountains, and gorges.

The highest peak in this photo is Mt. Hoken-dake, 2931 meters high.
It is a pointed rocky mountain as "hoken" means treasured sword.



Senjojiki Cirque spreads on a slope at the height of over 2,000 meters above sea level,

just under the alpine belt of the Kiso Mountains (Central Japan Alps). The principal peak that runs 80 kilometers is the 2956-meter-high Mt. Kiso Koma-ga-take. 

The steep slopes of the Senjojiki Cirque were carved by glaciers about 20,000 years ago. 

The cirque is now a meadow of alpine wildflowers which burst into bloom during the short summer.

チングルマ

Aleutian avens, or Geum pentapetalum (L.)Makino

アオノツガザクラ

Aleutian mountain heath

ミヤマクロユリ,

Kamchatka lilies

シナノキンバイ(信濃金梅)

Globeflower, orTrollius riederianus var. japonicus

This natural paradise is easily accessible thanks to the Komagane Ropeway, Japan’s first mountain ropeway.  It rises 950 meters from the Shirabi Plateau over its 2334 meter length in seven minutes and thirty seconds. Senjojiki Station is the station at the highest altitude in Japan.

Getting off the ropeway at the station, you have a panoramic view of the 3000-meter-level Akaishi Mountains (Southern Japan Alps) before your eyes and of Komagane City below. From there you can hike on a looped course in the Cirque or climb Mt. Hoken-dake and/or Mt. Koma-ga-take.

Mt. Fuji is visible beyond the Japanese South Alps, but unfortunately it was hidden by the clouds.

The short summer is in full swing at Senjojiki Cirque.

 -Visit Our World Tuesday to see more about our world. -



Heaven at the altitude of 2700 meters

Norikura Mountains has 23 peaks with the main “Sword” peak (3026m), 7 clater lakes, and 8 plains.  It is located at the southern part of the Northern Alps on the border of Gifu and Nagano prefectures. 

Japanese Alps with 3000m-class mountains is collectively called so including Northern Alps (Hida mountains), Central Alps (Kiso mountains) and Southern Alps (Akaishi mountains).

“Norikura” means “riding saddle” in Japanese, because the mountains shape looks like a horse saddle.   It is one of the most easily climbed mountains among the 3000-meter class and is popular for summer skiing from May to June.  Skiers climb the mountain with skiing boots on from Tatamidaira and glide down the snowy valley.

spring image via Wikimedia

Norikura Skyline is one of the two highest highways of Japan elevation-wise.  It leads people to Mt. Norikura Tatamidaira (2702m) from Hoonoki-daira (1234m) in Takayama City, Gifu Pref.  Another one is Norikura Ecoline from Sanbon-daki in Matsumoto City, Nagano Pref.

from the bus window

Since it is the specially designated as the protected area of National Park, Mt. Norikura Tatamidaira (2702m) is not accessible by private vehicles.  People must take the shuttle buses with wide windows.

The terminal, Tatamidaira, is beyond the pond.

Alpine flora is rich. 

白山一華/ハクサンイチゲ, or Anemone narcissiflora, blooms from June to August.

駒草/コマクサ,or Dicentra peregrina, is native to Japan and Siberia. They grow on the gravels and bloom large purplish pink flowers.

There is Cosmic Rays Observatory at the mountain top.   It must be fascinating to view the starry night sky or catch the first rays of the sun rising from the mountain.  

When I was there, air was 15 degrees Celsius, while people on the lower ground were gasping for fresh air in the scorching and swealtering heat of  35-38 degrees C.   It was heaven with sunshine, fresh, cool and crisp air, lovely flowers, and breathtaking views.

This post is connected to Our World Tuesday.