Photo/Illutration Climbers enjoy sake and wine at the Nishiho Sanso rest house in the border area between Nagano and Gifu prefectures on Jan. 25. (Maki Hoshii)

MATSUMOTO, Nagano Prefecture--Toru Awazawa hopes that drinking alcohol at an altitude of 2,367 meters over rough terrain will improve safety for alpinists in the Hotaka Mountain Range.

Awazawa obviously doesn’t want mountain climbers and other visitors to venture off into the wilderness in a drunken stupor, but he encourages them to share safety tips over relaxing drinks and food at the Nishiho Sanso mountain lodge, which he manages here.

In January, the lodge in the Northern Alps is often crowded with weekend climbers enjoying “yukimizake” (drinking sake while viewing snowy scenery).

Through the windows, the visitors can take in the wintry views of Mount Kasumizawadake and Mount Yatsugatake.

The lodge’s menu looks like something found in an “izakaya” (Japanese-style pub). The offerings include local sake and wine of the Shinshu region, “oden” (Japanese hot stew in a thin soy soup with vegetables and fish dumplings), and “motsuni” (hot stew containing entrails).

Nishiho Sanso, located around the border between Nagano and Gifu prefectures and near the 2,909-meter-high Mount Nishihotakadake, is the only lodge on the main ridgeline that operates throughout the year.

Awazawa, 57, said Nishiho Sanso has become a place where even strangers can exchange ideas on safety in the mountains.

“Climbers enjoy freedom from their daily lives and being healed in nature,” he said. “Sometimes, we have bad weather, so I came up with the idea of how they can enjoy themselves inside the lodge.”

Getting to the lodge can prove a challenge, especially in winter. After taking the Shinhotaka Ropeway in Gifu Prefecture, the visitors must climb through snowy forests for about 90 minutes.

Crampons and pickaxes are needed for the slippery trek.

Once they reach the top, the climbers can wind down with a tipple at the rest house annex to the lodge. Even if they are not registered guests, they can order meals, such as ramen noodles and curry.

Sake is a popular item on the menu, which includes four types from Nagano Prefecture at prices ranging from 700 yen ($6.50) to 900 yen per 180 milliliters. The lodge also offers a special wine from Shiojiri in the same prefecture for 2,900 yen a bottle.

In the traditional manner, the sake is poured into a ceramic cup within a wooden box.

Also available are 180-milliliter glass tumblers of shochu or “umeshu” (Japanese plum liqueur) for 500 yen each.

Awazawa is a certified weather forecaster, and one of his important daily tasks is explaining the weather conditions to his guests.

Bad weather has caused many alpine accidents near the lodge.

“If we drink together and get to know each other, they will listen to me,” he said. “I hope that our chats will lead to the prevention of accidents.”