Mount Tashiro

Mt. Tashiro
田代岳
Physical characteristics
Summit Height	1,178m m
Municipalities	Ōdate
Location in Akita

Mount Tashiro (田代岳;-dake) is a mountain that lies on the northern border of Akita and Aomori. It is the centerpiece of the Tashiro Prefectural Park.

Outline

Located in the former town of Tashiro, on the northern border of Ōdate, Mount Tashiro is technically part of the vast Shirakami Mountains. The former town's name stems from this mountain.

The lower part of the mountain is heavily populated with beech trees, while the area above the 9th marker is a multistage wetland known as "The Alaskan Park Above the Clouds." This area boasts over 120 ponds, and its alpine plants draw scores of climbers every year.

Mt. Tashiro is a stratovolcano that is a part of a mountain range which includes Mt. Rai, Mt. Eboshi, and Mt. Chausu. In the above picture, the flat area at the top is Mt. Tashiro. This flat area is where the wetlands are, and Tashiro's peak is just to their left. The next peak to the left is Mt. Rai, while the next one after that is Mt. Eboshi.

The shrine at the peak

Legend

The shrine at the peak of Mt. Tashiro is thought to have been founded by the famous Tendai monk, Ennin. This shrine is said to have been the foundation of the larger shugendo shrine in the village of Tsuzureko (綴子) in present day Hinai.

The mountain itself is thought by the locals to be a kami that protects the welfare of the local farmers as well as the surrounding shrines and temples.

Climbing Tashiro

Because of the abundance of wildflowers on her slopes, Tashiro makes a popular destination for climbers. There are currently five different bases to climb her from, with the Arasawa route being described below.

• Arasawa Route (荒沢登山口)
  A popular base to start from, this place can be reached by taking the route 7 to the 68 and then going by way of the Yamase Dam. At the base there is a parking lot for roughly 29 cars, and a small building equipped with toilets and faucets to fill your water bottles. Taking breaks, the route should take roughly 2hr 30min to get to the peak and 1hr 30min to come down.(Interesting fact: next to the base, there is a rocket incineration plant run by Mitsubishi, although it is unavailable for viewing by the general public).

See also

• Hiking/Climbing
• Life in Akita
• Odate page about the different climbing routes (Japanese)
• Topographical Map from the Geological Information Authority of Japan
• Official Ōdate page about Tashiro Prefectural Park