Senjōjiki Cirque, Glacial cirque in Komagane and Miyada, Japan.
Senjōjiki Cirque is a semi-circular depression carved into the mountains of the Central Japan Alps at 2,612 meters elevation. The steep walls form a bowl-shaped valley where glaciers once moved and shaped the landscape.
This natural amphitheater was carved by glacial movement roughly 20,000 years ago. The slow pressure and action of ice created the distinctive bowl-shaped valley we see today.
The name Senjōjiki comes from the traditional Japanese measurement system, describing the space needed to fit one thousand tatami floor mats. This naming connects the land directly to how people historically understood and measured their living spaces.
The Komagatake Ropeway lifts visitors to one of the highest stations in Japan at 2,612 meters elevation. The cable car climbs through a 950-meter elevation change, making the approach accessible without a demanding hike.
The location displays a striking seasonal contrast between elevations: visitors can ski on snow while cherry blossoms bloom at lower mountain elevations during spring. This elevation difference creates multiple seasons visible at the same time on the mountainside.
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