is a mountainous region covering most of the Kii Peninsula

Kii Peninsula

The is the largest peninsula on the island of Honshū in Japan. The area south of the “Central Tectonic Line” is called Nankii , and includes the most poleward living coral reefs in the world due to the presence of the warm Kuroshio Current, though these are threatened by global warming and human...

. They lie south of the Japan Median Tectonic Line

Japan Median Tectonic Line

, also Median Tectonic Line , is Japan's longest fault system. It connects with the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line , the left blue line on the map, and the Fossa Magna, the pink shaded region....

 (MTL) in Wakayama

Wakayama Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...

, Nara

Nara Prefecture

is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....

, and Mie

Mie Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....

 prefectures. The mountains are arranged roughly northeast to southwest.

History

During 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...

, 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...

 flourished in these mountains. In 2004 it became part of a UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 World Cultural and Natural Heritage site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

, under the name "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the Kii Peninsula in Japan.- Selection criteria :...

"

Geography

The highest peak is Hakkenzan 1914.6 metres (6,281.5 ft) in the Ōmine Mountains. Other peaks in the central group are Mount Shakka

Mount Shakka

is a mountain in the Ōmine Mountains. It marks part of the border between Totsukawa and Shimokitayama in Yoshino District of Nara Prefecture.- References :*...

(1800m) and Mount Sanjō

Mount Omine

, is a sacred mountain in Nara, Japan, famous for its three tests of courage.Officially known as , it is more popularly known as Mount Ōmine due to its prominence in the Ōmine mountain range...

 (1719m). To the East in the Daikō Mountains is Mount Ōdaigahara

Mount Odaigahara

, also is a mountain in the Daikō Mountain Range and on the border between the prefectures of Mie and Nara, Japan. The mountain is the highest in Mie. In 1980 an area of 36,000 ha in the region of Mount Ōdaigahara and Mount Ōmine was designated a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve.- References :...

 (1695m). In the South is Mount Daitō 大塔山(1122m). The Obako Mountains separate Nara Prefecture from Wakayama Prefecture.

Yoshino-Kumano National Park

Yoshino-Kumano National Park

is a national park in the Kansai region, Honshū, Japan. It was accredited on February 1, 1936.Part of it was accredited World Heritage Site in 2004.Northernmost of mountain lands in it called Yoshino is famous site of cherry blossoms.-External links:...

 is located in the Kii Mountains.

Geology

Along with the Shikoku Mountains, the Kii Mountains form the outer arc of the Southwestern Japan Arc. The mountains are mostly domed upthrusts of sedimentary rock from the Cretaceous

Cretaceous

The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...

 and Lower Miocene.