Asahi Shimbun: The earthquake swarms Kamikochi landscape scars

Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture – Authorities in Kamekuchi, a mountain resort area and access to the Alps of northern Japan, are on high alert after an earthquake swarm caused avalanches, landslides and dangerous cracks in the ground.

Local officials and workers in the local tourism industry here are particularly concerned about the safety of visitors and hikers, and ask them to be especially careful against accidents and stay away from the mountains.

An earthquake swarm caught up in late April and was particularly noticeable in the area around Matsumoto.

The avalanches and massive landslides, along with cracks that open up to the ground, left hills of soil and rock debris along the hiking trails in the nearby Hotaka mountain range.

The county authorities recently submitted a request to the public to remain in their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local buses, one of the few means of transportation to the Kamikochi area, where private cars are restricted, are closed from April 18 to May 15 to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.

Services resumed, but the passengers stayed away.

People working in mountain lodges and tourism-related companies fear that the earthquake swarm is causing tourists and mountain climbers to think twice about visiting Kamekuchi.

On the evening of May 29, a earthquake measuring three on the Japanese seismic scale from seven occurred in the Azumi Matsumoto region, near Kamekuchi.

“The vibration caused the dirt to drift in the air all over the mountains. “It looked like smoke from a fire,” said a local tourism industry official.

The official added that several avalanches occurred in the Hotaka mountain range.

The next day, evidence of damage to the avalanche can be seen in the valley known as Dakesawa in the Hotaka mountain range from Kappabashi Bridge, a scenic tourist area in Kamikochi.

Falling rocks about 10 centimeters in diameter were scattered across hiking trails near the Konashidaira camping site, another favorite spot of tourists.

A wandering woman from Shizuoka Prefecture, who pitched a tent with a friend, two hours from Kababashi, last night, said the quake had made them fear for their physical safety.

The husband canceled their climb plan for the next day.

It is at this time of the year, just before the onset of the rainy season, hikers flock to Kamekuchi to savor lush mountain views.

But not this year.

Accommodations that cater to visitors to the Hotaka Mountain Range remain closed until July 14.

Disturbed by the damage to the trails and the risk of further landslides, hostels are urging the public to refrain from climbing on the Hotaka mountain range for a period of time.

Tsutomo Otsuka, a professor of geology at Shinshu University who conducted the survey in Kamikuchi district in late April and again on May 30, said seismic activity may continue for another month or so.

He warned of the risk of serious damage in areas not yet hit by a major earthquake and urged tourists to stay away from Kamekuchi.

(This article was written by Yukio Kondo and Takaki Urimitsu.)

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