Mount Nishihotaka, Mountain summit in Matsumoto, Japan

Mount Nishihotaka is a 2,909 m peak on the border of Matsumoto, Nagano, and Takayama, Gifu, in the southern Hida Mountains. Its serrated rock ridge is the southwestern end of the Hotaka group and the only Hotaka peak below 3,000 m. The summit holds a third-order triangulation point and a summit marker; numbered peaks such as Pyramid Peak (8th) and Champion Peak (4th) lead up from Nishiho Doppyo.

The first documented climb took place in 1906 and marked the beginning of organized mountaineering in this region. Since then, the route has been a fixture of Japanese alpinism.

The name Nishihotaka dates from 1909, when Udono Masao, on the first traverse from Yarigatake, split the Hotaka massif into Kita, Mae, Oku and Nishi peaks. The summit holds a third-order triangulation point and a summit marker. Near the top, a memorial stands at the site of the 1967 lightning accident that killed 11 students from Matsumoto Fukashi High School.

The ropeway shortens the approach considerably and allows less experienced hikers to reach higher elevations. Those who want to stay longer can sleep at the hut and start early the next morning.

The mountain divides into two distinct sections: the first area up to the Nishiho-Doppyo peak is accessible for regular hikers. Beyond that, the route requires technical skills and specialized equipment.