Abstract
Compared with glacial landforms and periglacial landforms that are produced by active freeze-thaw actions and/or permafrost conditions, snowpatch (nivation) hollows and landslide topographies are common in the Japanese high mountains. This is because the Japanese high mountains are situated on humid active margins affected by convergent plate motions and Asian monsoon circulations. However, little attention has been paid to geomorphic processes and Quaternary historical development of snowpatch hollows and landslide features, especially in the alpine and subalpine zones of the Japanese high mountains. For the sustainable progress of Japanese geomorphology, research on a snowpatch hollow and a landslide topography is required more than ever before. This paper reviews the recent development of geomorphological studies on a snowpatch hollow and a landslide feature in Japan. In addition, significance and future issues are referred.
