Jōnen Hut

Jōnen Hut (常念小屋, Jōnen-goya) is a mountain lodge situated at 2,450 m on the Jōnen Pass (常念乗越), the saddle between Mount Jōnen and Mount Yokodō in the Jōnen range of Japan's Northern Alps. It lies within Chūbu-Sangaku National Park in the Hōtaka area of Azumino, Nagano Prefecture. First opened on 27 July 1917, it is one of the oldest continuously operating mountain huts in the Northern Alps and is a key base for climbers of Mount Jōnen and for hikers traversing the Jōnen range. The hut accommodates 186 guests and is open seasonally, typically from late April to early November, with dates varying according to snow conditions. It offers dormitory lodging, meals, and a shop, and is reached from the Kamikōchi side via the Ichinosawa route. The surrounding area above the treeline is a dwarf-pine zone where alpine plants and alpine butterflies such as the Japanese ringlet can be seen. From the hut, Mount Yari can be viewed. Jōnen Hut is a family-run business now in its fourth generation of the Yamada family. The founder, Yamada Riichi, opened the hut in 1917 and also pioneered the shortest route from the Matsumoto plain to Mount Yari. The hut has been expanded repeatedly, with the current main building, dining room, and kitchen completed between 1971 and 1979. It has hosted notable guests, including Emperor Naruhito (then Crown Prince) in 1992, and appeared in the NHK morning drama "Ohisama" in 2011. Today the hut maintains its own website and Instagram account, posting trail and snow conditions, and continues to serve as a hub for mountaineering in the Northern Alps.

Jōnen Hut was founded in the early 20th century during the dawn of mountain hut development in the Northern Alps. In 1917, a group of young men from Matsumoto, including Yamada Riichi, who had previously established the Karasawa Hut, opened the hut on the Jōnen Pass. The original structure was small, measuring about 5.5 m by 7.3 m. In 1919, Yamada Riichi and Kobayashi Kisaku pioneered the shortest route from the Matsumoto plain to Mount Yari via Jōnen Pass, and the hut was opened that same year. A guestbook from 1919, "Alps in the Heart," contains writings and drawings by many mountaineers and literary figures. In 1925, Yamada Riichi opened a trail from Jōnen Hut to Ichinomata and established the Ichinomata Hut (predecessor of the current Yokoo Sansō). This hut was destroyed by fire in 1943 due to an accident by a university mountaineering club. The founder, Yamada Riichi, passed away in 1956. From 1957 to 1979, the hut underwent repeated expansions, with the current main building completed in 1971, the engine room in 1978, and the dining room and kitchen in 1979. Since 1964, construction materials have been transported by helicopter. In 1969, the hut celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 1985, a medical clinic of Shinshu University's mountain medicine department was established at the hut. In 1992, Crown Prince Naruhito (now Emperor) stayed at the hut during his last solo mountaineering trip before marriage, traversing from Mount Jōnen to Mount Chōgatake. In 2000, a new toilet treatment system was introduced. From 2005 to 2015, the third-generation owner, Yamada Ken'ichirō, an architect, carried out repairs. The second owner, Yamada Tsuneo, passed away in 2017. The hut celebrated its 100th anniversary on 27 July 2019. In 2022, the fourth-generation owner, Yamada Yūta, took over after training at Karasawa Hutte. The hut has been featured in media, including the NHK morning drama "Ohisama" in 2011, and remains a beloved destination for climbers.

• Jōnen Hut opened by Yamada Riichi and others.

• Yamada Riichi and Kobayashi Kisaku pioneered the shortest route from Matsumoto to Mount Yari; hut opened.

• Trail to Ichinomata opened and Ichinomata Hut established.

• Ichinomata Hut destroyed by fire.

• Founder Yamada Riichi passed away.

• Repeated expansions; current main building, engine room, dining room and kitchen completed.

• Helicopter transport of construction materials began.

• 50th anniversary of the hut.

• Shinshu University Medical School mountain clinic opened.

• Crown Prince Naruhito stayed at the hut during his last solo mountaineering trip before marriage.

• Toilet treatment system began operation.

• Third owner Yamada Ken'ichirō carried out repairs.

• Second owner Yamada Tsuneo passed away.

• 100th anniversary of the hut.

• Fourth owner Yamada Yūta took over.

Historic, family-run mountain hut in the Northern Alps, offering lodging and meals to climbers and maintaining mountain trails.

• Jōnen Pizza

  Pizza with daily ingredients, limited quantity, ¥2,000.

• Curry Rice

  Choice of beef, butter chicken, keema, or beef hayashi, ¥1,500.

• Beef Stew Rice

  Popular menu, ¥2,000.

• Gyūdon

  Standard dish, ¥1,700.

• Ramen

  Soy sauce flavor, ¥1,500.

• Jōnen Udon

  With wild vegetables, fried tofu, wakame, and leek, ¥1,500.

• Draft Beer

  ¥1,200.

• Jōnen Original Blend Coffee

  Made with Jōnen natural water drip, ¥800.

1. 1日本アルプス常念小屋mt-jonen.com
2. 2山小屋紹介 - 日本アルプス常念小屋mt-jonen.com
3. 3食堂（営業メニュー）｜山小屋紹介 - 日本アルプス常念小屋mt-jonen.com
4. 4常念小屋100年｜山小屋紹介 - 日本アルプス常念小屋mt-jonen.com
5. 5Jōnen Hut - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6常念小屋 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org