Our Mountains
This area is called “Kamui Mintara” (the Garden of the gods:), where the origins of Hokkaido’s nature and culture converge.
Daisetsuzan National Park, with its peaks reaching 2,000 meters, is one of Japan’s largest mountain parks. Its dynamic terrain, shaped by volcanic activity, and the pristine water it yields nurture the fertile lands of Furano and Biei.
The land we stand upon—the Daisetsuzan and Tokachi-dake mountains—was shaped over a truly magnificent span of time, approximately 200 million years.
In the ancient Earth where dinosaurs roamed, Hokkaido did not yet exist. The mountains we gaze upon today are the very breath of our planet, where tectonic plates continue to shift.
The land we stand upon—the Daisetsuzan and Tokachi-dake mountains—was shaped over a truly magnificent span of time, approximately 200 million years.
In the ancient Earth where dinosaurs roamed, Hokkaido did not yet exist. The mountains we gaze upon today are the very breath of our planet, where tectonic plates continue to shift.
years ago
At that time, the Earth’s surface was covered by giant rock slabs called “plates,” and one of them was called the “Izanagi plate.” The plate that would become the prototype of the current Japanese archipelago was still near the equator, and the location of Hokkaido was at the bottom of a vast ocean. There, a vibrant sea teemed with life, where ammonites and plesiosaurs swam.
years ago
Over long ages, sediment on the seafloor was pushed upward by pressure, forming the geological strata known as the Ezo Group. Numerous remnants of the ancient sea have been found there, including fossils of giant ammonites, bones of plesiosaurs, and a hadrosaurid dinosaur discovered in Mukawa Town.
Around this time, two ancient landmasses formed: **the Western Ancient Land (present-day western Hokkaido) and the Okhotsk Ancient Land (present-day eastern Hokkaido)**. They gradually began to move closer together. Deep within the earth, magma began to stir, heralding the start of volcanic activity.
years ago
Finally, two ancient continents collided, and immense pressure pushed the surface upward, rolling up the seabed strata. This marked the birth of the Hidaka Mountains, the prototype of the mountain range forming the backbone of Hokkaido.
The crust rose as if peeling back, bringing deep underground rocks to the surface. This tectonic shift severed Hokkaido from the continent, evolving it into an independent island.
Here, for the first time, the outline of the landmass known as “Hokkaido” emerged.
years ago
Eventually, the movement of tectonic plates brought further changes. The Sea of Japan opened up, and pressure from east and west formed the “central depression zones” such as the Furano Basin, Kamikawa Basin, and Nayoro Basin. These landforms were covered by volcanic ash and sediment, creating rich soil. Behind the hills of Biei and the fields of Furano nurtured today lies millions of years of Earth’s activity.
years ago
About 1.9 million years ago, a massive caldera eruption occurred around Mt. Biei and Mt. Optateshike. Rhyolitic pyroclastic flows covered the entire Furano and Biei areas, and their deposits formed the foundation of the present-day Mt. Tokachi.
Volcanic activity continued, and a large-scale eruption known as the “Tokachi Pyroclastic Flow” occurred again 1.1 to 1.2 million years ago. The volcanic群 (group) formed in stages, with Mt. Optateshike, Mt. Biei, and Mt. Furano appearing one after another. Daisetsuzan also began to be active around the same time, and the Ohachidaira Caldera was formed 1 million to 700,000 years ago.
During this period, Mt. Tokachi was one of the most active volcanoes.
Between approximately 5,000 and 3,000 years ago, the ground crater was active, and 4,700 years ago, a pyroclastic flow occurred accompanied by a mountain collapse. Furthermore, 2,200 years ago, a large-scale eruption and lava flow poured toward the Shirogane Onsen area, with volcanic ash falling as far as Obihiro.
While volcanic eruptions brought destruction, they also created rich soil and hot springs, becoming blessings that supported the lives of later generations.
This truly marked the beginning of “coexistence between volcanoes and people.”
The 1926 eruption sent mudflows surging through Biei and Kamifurano, claiming 144 lives. In 1962, volcanic plumes again rose 12,000 meters, with ash reaching as far as Shiretoko and the Kuril Islands. During the 1988-89 eruption, pyroclastic flows occurred, forcing local residents to confront nature’s power once more.
Yet those living at the foot of Mt. Tokachi chose not only to fear this mountain but to embrace the “wisdom of coexistence.” Observing the volcano, monitoring its fumarolic activity, and harnessing its blessings for hot springs and tourism—this is a story of resilience uniquely Hokkaido.
Mount Tokachi currently stands at an elevation of 2,077 meters. At its crater, steam rising at temperatures exceeding 300 degrees Celsius continues to this day, making it a “living volcano” under constant observation by the Japan Meteorological Agency. We live atop its activity.
In the 2 million-year history of Earth, the present moment is but an instant. Yet within that instant, we enjoy the blessings of the volcano and live in harmony with nature’s rhythm.
The Geo Adventure Perspective
This land has shaped its present form through cycles of destruction and rebirth.
Volcanoes give birth to water, water nurtures forests, and forests nurture people.
Within this cycle lies the “design of life,” and within it lies our existence.
Geo Adventure aims to help you feel this grand cycle of Earth and human stories through travel.
Walking the mountains is walking Earth’s history.
And finding the path leading to a future where humans and nature coexist.
The story of Daisetsuzan and Tokachi-dake continues quietly, yet powerfully, to this day.