Mount Ishizuchi 石鎚山

Shikoku from the sky

Ishizuchi-san is the highest mountain on the island of Shikoku. It is also considered the highest peak in the country's west. Meaning "stone hammer," this mountain is also the object of a significant Buddhist cult, the sect of Shugendo.

 

The "roof of Shikoku."

Mount Ishizuchi is an ancient volcano, said to have been active about 15 million years ago, located in Ehime Prefecture in the middle of Ishizuchi Quasi-National Park, Shikoku. This mountain displays an impressive profile with a peak of 1,982 meters above sea level and a rocky, sharp summit. Beyond its name (stone hammer), it is also nicknamed the "roof of Shikoku." Impressive characteristics make it one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan, a list established from criteria of the beauty of the mountain, the landscape, and the altitude. It is also one of the "7 sacred mountains of the country".

Read also: Matsuyama

Photo from the top of Mount Ishizuchi-san

Wikipedia

A place of pilgrimage

Like many mountains in Japan, Ishizuchi-san is considered an object of religious worship. The Shugendô sect, which mixes contributions from Buddhism and Shintoism, has made it one of its principal religious centers. In this context, a small sanctuary was built at the top, the Ishizuchi-jinja. Pilgrims take a very steep route to reach the summit. Indeed, iron chains are arranged from the top to the base and offer a much more complicated circuit for the religious than for the amateurs.

Pious statues punctuate the O-Henro, pilgrimage route of Shikoku Island

Pious statues line the O-Henro, the pilgrimage route on the island of Shikoku.

Simon Desmarais


Address, timetable & access

  • Address

  • Timetable

    2 hours by car (~80 kilometers) from Matsuyama

Our tours in Matsuyama

  • Duration : 13 days
  • Locations : Tokyo, Hakone Mt Fuji, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Miyajima
  • Included : Visits & meals, English-speaking tour leader, Hotel temple, 3*/4* Hotels & Ryokan
  • Duration : 14 days
  • Locations : Tokyo, Hakone Mt Fuji, Kyoto, Nara, Koyasan, Osaka
  • Included : English-speaking tour leader, 3*/4* Hotels & Ryokan, Hotel temple, Visits & meals
  • Duration : 12 days
  • Locations : Tokyo, Mt Fuji (Kawaguchiko), Osaka, Himeji, Kyoto, Nara
  • Included : English-speaking tour leader, 3* Hotels & Ryokan, Visits & meals
  • Duration : 12 days
  • Locations : Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kawaguchiko, Tokyo
  • Included : English-speaking tour leader, 3*/4* Hotels & Ryokan, Visits & meals
  • Duration : 21 days
  • Locations : Tokyo, Hakone Mt Fuji, Kyoto, Nara, Koyasan, Osaka, Kobe, Takachiho, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Miyajima
  • Included : English-speaking tour leader, 3*/4* Hotels & Ryokan, Hotel temple, Visits & meals
See all our other Tours (5)

Latest Articles

Suzaki Kaigan Coast

Shikoku Seiyo Geopark

To the west of Shikoku Island, Seiyo Geopark is one of Japan's 34 recognized geoparks. It conceals well-hidden treasures, small villages and splendid landscapes, between sea and mountains...

See All (2)