is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains. The peak lies in the southern part of the Hida Mountains (Northern Alps) of Japan, on the border of à Âmachi and Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture and Takayama in Gifu Prefecture. The priest Banryà « (1786âÂÂ1840) founded a temple there. The headwater of Japan's longest river, the Shinano River, begins here as the Azusa River.
Mount Yari is located in the Chà «bu-Sangaku National Park. The name derives from its shape, which resembles a spear (槠yari) thrust into the sky. Because of its shape, it is also called the Matterhorn of Japan. Ridges and valleys reach out from this pyramid-shaped mountain in all directions. The four ridges are Higashikama (æ±éÂÂ), Yarihotaka (æ§Âç©Âé«Â), Nishikama (西éÂÂ) and Kitakama (Ã¥ÂÂéÂÂ) to the east, south, west and north, respectively. The four valleys are Yarizawa (æ§Âæ²¢), Hidazawa or Yaridaira (é£Â騨沢 or æ§Âå¹³), Senjà Âzawa (Ã¥ÂÂä¸Âæ²¢) and Tenjà Âzawa (天ä¸Âæ²¢) to the southeast, southwest, northwest and northeast, respectively.
During the hiking season, Mount Yari is popular with mountain climbers. One of the most infamous ridges is Kitakama. It became known through its association with mountaineer , who was a model for the novel Kokà  no Hito (å¤é«Âã®人), by Jirà  Nitta, and it's manga adaptation of the same name by Shinichi Sakamoto(Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂ丠, Sakamoto Shinichi). The disaster of told in Fà «setsu no BibÃÂku (風éªã®ãÂÂãÂÂã¼ã¯ Snowstorm Bivouac) also contributed to its fame.
Despite the existence of variation routes, climbers stand in line for the famous routes during the summer. In the autumn of 2005, a new mountain trail was constructed going up from Hidarimata Valley (左俣谷 Hidarimata-dani) to Mount Okumaru (奥丸山 Okumaru-yama). This made it possible to reach Yari-ga-take walking from Shinhodaka onsen upstream along the Hidarimata Valley following the mountain ridge of Mount Okumaru.
Two triangulation points were established at the summit. A milepost stone is fixed to the ground. As a reference point for the Geographical Survey Institute of Japan, it is of little importance and even on topographic maps, the summit of Yari-ga-take appears merely as an elevation point.
There are several mountain huts in the vicinity of the mountain: Yari-ga-take Sansà  (æ§Âã¶岳山èÂÂ), Sesshà  Hut (殺çÂÂãÂÂãÂ¥ãÂÂãÂÂ), Hut à Âyari (ãÂÂãÂ¥ãÂÂãÂÂ大æ§Â), Yarisawa Lodge (æ§Âæ²¢ãÂÂãÂÂã¸), Yaridaira-goya (æ§Âå¹³å°Âå±Â) and Wasabidaira-goya (ãÂÂãÂÂã³平å°Âå±Â). Being situated in the Japanese Alps, several prominent mountains can be reached from Mount Yari, among them: Sugoroku-dake (Ã¥ÂÂå Âå²³), Nishi-dake (西岳), à Âgui-dake (大å°岳), Naka-dake (ä¸Âå²³), Minami-dake (Ã¥ÂÂå²³), Okumaru-yama (奥丸山).