KAMIKAWA, Hokkaido — Japanese pika, a species that is said to have survived the ice age and inhabits in limited alpine areas of Hokkaido, are preparing for winter on Mount Kurodake in the Daisetsuzan range in this town in Japan’s northernmost prefecture.
Measuring around 15 centimeters long, Japanese pika — a subspecies of the northern pika — are a near-threatened species. While the animals do not hibernate, they gather plant leaves and nuts for subsistence and stock them up in their nests around this time of year.
In mid-September, Japanese pika were seen actively moving around in search of food in rocky areas near the summit of the 1,984-meter Mount Kurodake, carpeted with vivid autumn leaves of alpine bearberry and other plants.
A Japanese pika looks vigilant about its surroundings in rocky areas carpeted with brilliant autumn leaves of alpine bearberry, in Kamikawa, Hokkaido, on Sept. 13, 2025. (Mainichi/Daiki Takikawa)=Click/tap photo for more images.
Hokkaido-based photographer Noriyuki Hayakawa, 65, commented, “I look forward to visiting the area for the rare sightings of naki usagi (pika), along with squirrels and ermines. I’d like to visit there as much as possible during the season.”
Mount Kurodake received the first snow of the season on Sept. 21.
(Japanese original by Daiki Takikawa, Photo and Video Department)
AloJapan.com