Japan
Alps
November 2024 • The Japanese Alps (christened so by a 19th-century European explorer) are a series of mountain ranges that bisect the main island of Honshu. Easily accessed from Tokyo, they also touch the edges of Matsumoto, Nagano, and Kanazawa. Foliage and winter closures make the Alps a popular autumn destination, and the early November weather was cooperative this year. Leaf color was at various levels of wow, but the main takeaway will always be the system of road tunnels that burrow into these mountains and allow passage for all types of vehicle. Some of the tunnels are miles long—an incredible feat of engineering in a region, and a country, that’s forever at the mercy of Mother Nature.
