Japan
Alps
November 2024 • The Japanese Alps (christened as such 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 plus looming winter closure make the Alps a popular target in autumn, and the early-November weather this year was welcoming. But even with leaf color at various stages of wow, the main takeaway was 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 country that has more than 2,000 active faults.
