Hokuto-city and Yatsugatake

"Yatsugatake（八ヶ岳）" is not the name of a specific peak, but a general term for mountains that cover both Yamanashi（山梨県） and Nagano prefectures（長野県).

Yatsugatake is a volcanic chain of about 20 peaks stretching about 25 km from north to south, from Mt. Tateshina（蓼科山） (2,530 m above sea level) in the north to Mt. Amigasa（編笠山） (2,524 m above sea level) in the south.　The volcanic eruptions can be seen in the surrounding area of 60 km from north to south and 25 km from east to west. The highest peak is Mt. Akadake（赤岳） (2,899m above sea level).

Yatsugatake, which is long from north to south, is divided into North-Yatsugatake and South-Yatsugatake with the Natsuzawa Pass（夏沢旧道） as a boundary, showing different mountain shapes.

The Yatsugatake mountains, which are referred to as the 100 most famous mountains in Japan, are composed of a series of peaks cut by erosion at their summits and surrounded by a huge alluvial fan at their foot.　Most of the area has been classified as Yatsugatake Chushin Highland National Park（八ヶ岳中信国立公園）. Because of the volcanic nature of the area, there are many hot springs in the area

Because of the subterranean water flowing at the foot of the mountains, there are many remains of the Jomon period, especially in the southwestern part of the town.

Kobuchisawa (小淵沢) is located on the border with Nagano Prefecture（長野県) and is known as the gateway to the Yamanashi side of the Yatsugatake Highlands. On March 15, 2006, the city was merged into the neighboring Hokuto City in a major merger and is now known as the Kobuchsawa-cho district of Hokuto City（北杜市), one of the city's administrative districts.Kobuchisawa is located on the Koshin（甲信） border, roughly halfway between the Kofu（甲府) and Suwa (諏訪) basins, and has been a major transportation hub since ancient times. The town has been considered a major transportation hub since ancient times, and this position is still true today, even with the development of modern transportation systems, with two railroad lines running through the town, the Chuo Main Line（中央本線) and the Koumi Line（小海線), and an interchange on the Chuo Expressway. Furthermore, Kobuchisawa Station is also a limited express stop on the Chuo Line, making it easily accessible from the Tokyo metropolitan area (新宿駅) without changing trains.

The shape of the town is similar to that of a pose of firing a gun with the left hand (index finger and thumb extended and the remaining fingers grasped), with the extended fingers corresponding to the former Kobuchisawa-cho, the grasped fingers corresponding to the former Shino-cho(篠町), and the tip of the index finger corresponding to Mt Amigasa（編笠山） and Mt. Gongen（権現岳).

It is a "town at the southern foot of Mt. Yatsugatake," with the Yatsugatake mountain range to the north at the top and a gentle slope toward the south, and almost the entire town has a slope of more than 3 degrees. Most of the town is located on a plateau called Shichiriwa（七里岩）, and the Kamanashi River（釜無川） that flows under the Shichiriwa plateau is included in the town area.

The town is bordered by the Kamanashi River, which flows under the plateau. Shichiriwa is a steep cliff in front of the Kamanashi River, and the difference in elevation from the highest point to the lowest point in the town is about 2,100 meters. The Kouroku River(甲六川) runs along the western edge of the town, forming the prefectural border with Fujimi Town（富士見町).

The shape of the town is similar to that of a pose of firing a gun with the left hand (index finger and thumb extended and the remaining fingers grasped), with the extended fingers corresponding to the former Kobuchisawa-cho, the grasped fingers corresponding to the former Shino―cho(篠町), and the tip of the index finger corresponding to Mt Amigasa（編笠山）and Mt. Gongen（権現岳).

Kobuchisawa-cho

The Kobuchisawa plateau is located at an elevation of around 1,000 meters, surrounded by rich nature, with a view of the magnificent Southern Alps and Mt. Fuji can be seen in front of the plateau. Even in summer, the area is cool with low humidity, and has long been suitable for raising horses. Today, there are many horse riding clubs, mainly for the Yamanashi Prefecture Equestrian Games, and the area is also known as a "horse town". In winter, the contrast between the blue sky and the snow-covered mountains, known as Yatsugatake Blue, is spectacular. At night, the air is crisp and clear, and the sky is filled with stars. Kobuchisawa is full of places that make you want to take a detour, such as the Shingen Stick Road(信玄棒道), which is said to have been built by Takeda Shingen(武田信玄) as a military road, limpid spring water refined by the peaks of the Yatsugatake Mountains, an art museum nestled in the forest, an outdoor skating rink with a circumference of 400 meters, the Enmei no Yu(延命の湯) (hot spring) containing highly concentrated minerals, and delicious highland vegetables.