is a stratovolcano in the ancient province of
Dewa (modern-day
Yamagata prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It has a population of 1,005,926 (1 February 2025) and an area of 9,325 Square kilometre, km2 (3,600 Square mile, sq mi). Its neighbours are Akita Prefectu ...
) and the highest of the
Three Mountains of Dewa. The
Gassan Shrine stands at the mountain's summit, above sea level.
The hike from its trailhead to the summit usually requires about 4-5 hours and can be challenging. Visitors should be aware of the weather and not try to hike it on days with wind or heavy rain. The trail is not paved and in some parts requires the use of hands to navigate certain parts of the trail.
Due to heavy winter
snowfall
Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...
, the mountain and shrine are inaccessible for long periods of the year; however, this also means that skiing is possible on the mountain from April to mid-summer.
The mountain is interesting in that it contains elements of both
shield volcanoes
A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a shield lying on the ground. It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid (low viscosity) lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flows than the more viscous lava ...
as well as
stratovolcanoes
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a ...
, although it is classified as a stratovolcano.
[以前は アスピーテに分類されていたが、現在では 成層火山が侵食や爆発によりなだらかになったものであるという説が有力である。詳しくは ノート及び 火山#地形による分類を参照。]
Gallery
File:Gassan Volcano Relief Map, SRTM-1.jpg, Relief Map
File:Gassan.JPG, Viewed from the South
File:Gassan Ridge 2006A.jpg, Ridge
File:Gassan Ridge 2006B.jpg, Ridge
File:Gassan View From the Peak 2006.jpg, Viewed from the Peak
File:Gassan jinja.JPG, Gassan Shrine at the summit
See also
*
List of volcanoes in Japan
This is a list of active and extinct volcanoes in Japan. An Orange background indicates a volcano considered active by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Hokkaido
Honshū
Izu Islands
Ogasawara Archipelago
The Ogasawara Archipelago ...
*
List of mountains in Japan
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
References
External links
*
Mount Gassan Travel: (Japanese)Mt. Gassan Page: (English)Mount Gassan Travel: (English)
Gassan
Shinto shrines in Yamagata Prefecture
Gassan
Stratovolcanoes of Japan
Pleistocene stratovolcanoes
Three Mountains of Dewa
Shugendō
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