Daisen (mountain)
Encyclopedia
, is a volcanic
mountain located in Tottori Prefecture
, Japan
. It has an elevation of 1,729 metres. This mountain is the highest in the Chūgoku region
, and the most important volcano on the Daisen volcanic belt. The Daisen volcanic belt is a part of Southwest Honshu volcanic arc, where the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting under the Amurian Plate
.
, made by repeated volcanic activity over thousands of years. Eruptions in this area started 1.8 million years ago and resulted in Old Daisen some 500,000 years ago. The Daisen of today, New Daisen, resulted from a second group of eruptions which started 50,000 years ago and ended 10,000 years ago in the caldera of Old Daisen. 50,000 years ago, this mountain had a plinian eruption
from which volcanic ash can be found as far away as the Tohoku Region
of Japan. This mountain is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan, and also one of the Chūgoku 100 mountains.
. According to the Izumo Kokudo Fudoki, completed in 733, this mountain was called Ōkami-take, literally, Mountain of the great god.
Daisen has been called Hōki Fuji and Izumo Fuji, depending on which side of the mountain the viewer is standing on. These names are based on the old Hōki
and Izumo
provinces.
In the middle of the mountain, there is a Buddhist temple, called Daisen-ji
. This temple has existed as a centre of worship since the Heian Period
. The temple was founded by the Tendai
sect in 718.
Climbing the mountain used to be severely prohibited without a selected monk of Daisen-ji, and common people could not access the mountain until the Edo Period
.
The mountain has also been important to the mountain ascetics of the Shugendō
sect. Just above the temple is the Ōgamiyama Jinja
, literally, shrine of the mountain of the great god.
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
mountain located in Tottori Prefecture
Tottori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Before the Meiji Restoration, Tottori encompassed the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It has an elevation of 1,729 metres. This mountain is the highest in the Chūgoku region
Chugoku region
The , also known as the , is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. It has a population of about 7.8 million.- History :...
, and the most important volcano on the Daisen volcanic belt. The Daisen volcanic belt is a part of Southwest Honshu volcanic arc, where the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting under the Amurian Plate
Amurian Plate
The Amurian Plate is a proposed continental tectonic plate covering Manchuria, the Korean Peninsula, Western Japan, and Primorsky Krai...
.
Outline
Daisen is a complex volcanoComplex volcano
A complex volcano, also called a compound volcano, is a volcano with more than one feature. They form because changes of their eruptive characteristics or the location of multiple vents in an area...
, made by repeated volcanic activity over thousands of years. Eruptions in this area started 1.8 million years ago and resulted in Old Daisen some 500,000 years ago. The Daisen of today, New Daisen, resulted from a second group of eruptions which started 50,000 years ago and ended 10,000 years ago in the caldera of Old Daisen. 50,000 years ago, this mountain had a plinian eruption
Plinian eruption
Plinian eruptions, also known as 'Vesuvian eruptions', are volcanic eruptions marked by their similarity to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 ....
from which volcanic ash can be found as far away as the Tohoku Region
Tohoku region
The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....
of Japan. This mountain is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan, and also one of the Chūgoku 100 mountains.
History and Religion
Daisen, which stands directly on the Sea of Japan, was regarded as one of the most important mountains for Japanese ShugendoShugendo
is a highly syncretic Buddhic religion or sect and mystical-spiritual tradition which originated in pre-Feudal Japan, in which enlightenment is equated with attaining oneness with the . This perception of experiential "awakening" is obtained through the understanding of the relationship between...
. According to the Izumo Kokudo Fudoki, completed in 733, this mountain was called Ōkami-take, literally, Mountain of the great god.
Daisen has been called Hōki Fuji and Izumo Fuji, depending on which side of the mountain the viewer is standing on. These names are based on the old Hōki
Hoki Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the western part of Tottori Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Hōki bordered on Inaba, Mimasaka, Bitchū, Bingo, and Izumo Provinces....
and Izumo
Izumo Province
was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province is in the Chūgoku Region.- History :It was one of the regions of ancient Japan where major political powers arose...
provinces.
In the middle of the mountain, there is a Buddhist temple, called Daisen-ji
Daisen-ji
thumb|250px|Amida-do Building, An Important Cultural Propertythumb|250px|Main HallDaisen-ji is a Buddhist temple, in Daisen, Tottori, Japan.-History:...
. This temple has existed as a centre of worship since the Heian Period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
. The temple was founded by the Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
sect in 718.
Climbing the mountain used to be severely prohibited without a selected monk of Daisen-ji, and common people could not access the mountain until the Edo Period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
.
The mountain has also been important to the mountain ascetics of the Shugendō
Shugendo
is a highly syncretic Buddhic religion or sect and mystical-spiritual tradition which originated in pre-Feudal Japan, in which enlightenment is equated with attaining oneness with the . This perception of experiential "awakening" is obtained through the understanding of the relationship between...
sect. Just above the temple is the Ōgamiyama Jinja
Ogamiyama Jinja
thumb|250px|Saino Kawara is a Shinto shrine, in Daisen, Tottori, Japan. A number of its structures have been designated Important Cultural Properties.-Origins:...
, literally, shrine of the mountain of the great god.