is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

on the border of Saijō and Kumakōgen, in Ehime, Japan. This mountain is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan. It is the highest mountain in Western Japan and the island of

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), ...

Outline

Mount Ishizuchi is the highest mountain on the island of

and also the highest mountain west of

Mount Haku , or Mount Hakusan (commonly referred to as simply Hakusan), is a dormant stratovolcano in Japan. It is located on the borders of Gifu and Ishikawa, on the island of Honshu. Mount Haku is thought to have first been active 300,000 to 400,000 ye ...

. It is known as 'the roof of Shikoku' and the sharp, rocky summit resembles a huge . Mount Ishizuchi is an important object of worship in this region and one of the major centers of

Shugendō is a highly syncretic religion, a body of ascetic practices that originated in the Nara Period of Japan having evolved during the 7th century from an amalgamation of beliefs, philosophies, doctrines and ritual systems drawn from local fo ...

, a sect of mixture of Shinto and Buddhism. At the top of the mountain there is a small shrine called the Ishizuchi Shrine. This mountain is also known as one of . There are several sets of leading up to the summit and this is the route many pilgrims opt to take, the longest set being 68m. However, it is possible to hike all the way to the peak along a trail which includes stairs and ramps with handrails. The climbing season opens every year on July 1, and women are forbidden from climbing the mountain on this day. Between mid-October and mid-November, people come from far and wide to view the autumn colours. The area around Mount Ishizuchi is a major part of Ishizuchi Quasi-National Park.

Access

* Sanchōjōju Station of Ishizuchi Ropeway * Ishizuchi Tsuchigoya Bus Stop of Iyotetsu Bus Image:Ishizuchi1.jpg, Mount Ishizuchi from South Image:Ishizuchi2.jpg, Top of Mount Ishizuchi Image:Ishizuchi3.jpg, A view of the middle of the mountain Image:Ishizuchi4.jpg, A stone wall of the mountain Image:Mt. Ishizuchi from Joju Shrine.jpg, Mt. Ishizuchi from Joju Image:Iron chains on Mt. Ishizuchi.jpg, People ascending via the iron chains

Footnotes

References

Guide to the Ishizuchi Mountains (Saijo City)

the Geographical Survey Institute in Japan

‘Yama to Shinko: Ishizuchisan’

External links

{{Authority control

Ishizuchi The is a limited express train service in Japan operated by JR Shikoku, which runs from to , and . The ''Ishizuchi'' service was introduced on 10 April 1988. Route The main stations served by this service are as follows. - - - - Rollin ...