Mt. Ishizuchi: A sacred mountain which is the highest in western Japan

Every Japanese knows which mountain is the highest in Japan, but not so many people know the highest peak in western Japan. That is Mt. Ishizuchi (石鎚山) at 1,982m in Ehime prefecture.

With its name meaning "stone hummer", Mt Ishizuchi is one of the 7 Holy Mountains (nana reizan, 七霊山) represented by Mt. Fuji.  About 1,300 years ago, Mt. Ishizuchi was opened by "En no Gyōja (役の行者)", the founder of Shugendō (修験道) which is a sect of mixture of Shinto and Buddhism who also opened Mt. Fuji. At the top of the mountain there is Ishizuchi Shrine (石鎚神社) and even now white-dressed pilgrims head for there from all over the country. 

On the way to the summit of Mt. Ishizuchi, there are four difficult spots called "Kusariba", heavy steel chains hung almost vertically. The longest one is 68m. If you afraid to climb, you can use trails bypassing four chains.

Mt. Ishizuchi is accessible less than 2 hours by car from Dōgo Onsen in Matsuyama, one of the oldest and most famous hot springs in Japan. After climbing Mt. Ishizuchi, soaking in a hot spring is a good choice.