is a remote mountainous highland valley within the Hida Mountains range, in the western region of Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
It has been preserved in its natural state within Chà «bu-Sangaku National Park. It is designated as one of Japan's National Cultural Assets, on the list of Special Natural Monuments and Special Places of Scenic Beauty. It is sometimes referred to as the "Japanese Yosemite Valley," although it is considerably smaller than its Californian counterpart.
Kamikà Âchi is a high mountain valley approximately 18 kilometers in length. The average elevation of the valley floor ranges between roughly above sea level at the south end and roughly at the northern tip.
Kamikà Âchi is located in the Hida Mountains, the "Northern Alps" of the Japanese Alps. The surrounding mountains reach . Kamikà Âchi is bordered on its northern end by Mount Hotaka, and on its southern end by Mount Yake, an active volcano.
The Azusa River, the headwater of Japan's longest river, the Shinano River, flows the length of the valley, filling Lake Taishà  at the base of Mt. Yake. Lake Taishà  received its name because it was formed by the eruption of Mt. Yake in 1915, which was part of the Taishà  period in Japan.
Because of the relatively flat topography of the Kamikochi Valley, marshes and ponds are a common feature, including the Takezawa Marsh, Tashiro Pond, and Myojin Pond. Because the water mainly comes from melted snow runoff or underground aquifers, it remains cold, even in the height of summer. The Tokusawa area at the far northern end of the valley served as a grazing area for horses and cattle until 1934, when the area was completely integrated into the park.
Kamikochi is a very popular hiking destination; there are many mountain huts and camping sites that make overnight hiking easy. The most famous hike in the area is Yarigatake, which is easily accessible from Kamikochi and often combined with Oku-Hotaka as a multi-day hike.
Kamikà Âchi was logged extensively until the mid-19th Century. The Rev. Walter Weston, a British Anglican missionary, is credited with, through his writing, sparking interest in recreational mountaineering in Japan and with lobbying to preserve the Kamikà Âchi area. Each year in June, the Weston Festival is celebrated at Kamikochi in recognition of his contribution to the conservation of the Northern Japan Alps.
Japanese novelist Ryunosuke Akutagawa also contributed to a boom in domestic tourism when he published his book Kappa in 1927. The name "Kappa-Bashi," the narrow pedestrian suspension bridge over the Azusa River mentioned in the novel, predates the book's publication. The origin of the bridge's name is uncertain. Still, it is more commonly thought to refer to Kappa, mythical water deities said to inhabit Japan's mountain streams and rivers.
kanji ç¥Âå£å (Kami-ko-uchi) were also used to write "Kamikà Âchi," but ä¸Âé«Âå° (Kami-kà Â-chi) has become the common way to write the name.
Park facilities include two camping areas, several hotels (western-style and traditional Japanese ryokan), a post office, a tourist information center, and some souvenir shops, mainly located between the bus and taxi terminal and Kappa-bashi bridge.
As the entire Kamikochi valley is protected as part of the Chà «bu-Sangaku National Park, road access is only granted to shuttle buses, taxis, and forestry and maintenance workers' vehicles. Private vehicles have been restricted from entering the park beyond the Kama Tunnel for both traffic management and environmental reasons since 1994. Private cars are required to park at either the Hirayu or Sawando parking area, from where shuttle buses or taxis transport visitors directly to the centrally located park visitor center.
For rail passengers approaching from Matsumoto, an integrated park transportation ticket is available using the Highland Rail service of the Kamikà Âchi Line to Shin-Shimashima rail terminal and then the Highland Bus service provided by Alpico Kà Âtsà «. The journey to the center of the park from Matsumoto Station by rail and shuttle bus takes approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Longer distance and overnight buses directly to the park are available from Tokyo (Shinjuku), Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka.
The park is officially open from mid-April to mid-November, with peak crowds during the summer school holidays (end of July through the end of August) and when the autumn leaves are at their peak in October.