Mount Haku

About

Mount Haku (Haku-san, "White Mountain"), or Hakusan, is a dormant stratovolcano in Japan. It is located on the borders of Gifu and Ishikawa, on the island of Honshu. Mount Haku is thought to have first been active 300,000 to 400,000 years ago, with the most recent eruption occurring in 1659. Along with Mount Tate and Mount Fuji, it is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" (San-rei-zan). The mountain's tallest peak, Gozenga-mine, is the one that gives the mountain its height of 2,702 m (8, 865 ft). Along with Ken-ga-mine, which is 2,677 m (8, 783 ft), and Ōnanji-mine, which is 2,648 m (8, 688 ft), the three peaks are considered "Mount Haku's Three Peaks" (Hakusan San-mine). Mount Bessan and Mount Sannomine are sometimes included and called "Mount Haku's Five Peaks" (Hakusan go-mine). Because it is very prominent and clearly visible from the nearby coast, even after the surrounding mountains have lost their snow, Mount Haku still appears white, which is one explanation for the mountain's name, which means "white mountain." It is also the westernmost mountain in Japan that is over 2,000 m (6, 562 ft) in height.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.