| Mount Myōkō | |
|---|---|
 A view from northeast | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,454 m (8,051 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 439m[1] |
| Listing | 100 Famous Japanese Mountains |
| Coordinates | 36°53′17.1″N138°06′59.9″E / 36.888083°N 138.116639°E /36.888083; 138.116639 |
| Naming | |
| Native name | 妙高山 (Japanese) |
| Pronunciation | Japanese:[mjoːkoːsaɴ] |
| Geography | |
  Mount Myōkō Location within Japan | |
| Location | Chūbu region,Honshu, Japan |
| Parent range | Kubiki Mountains |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Volcanic arc | Northeastern Japan Arc |
| Last eruption | 750 BCE |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
.jpg)
Mount Myōkō (妙高山,Myōkō-san) is anactivestratovolcano inHonshu, Japan. It is situated at the southwest ofMyōkō city,Niigata Prefecture, and a part ofJōshin'etsu-kōgen National Park. Mount Myōkō is listed as one of100 Famous Japanese Mountains, and together withMount Yahiko (弥彦山,Yahiko-yama), it is well known as the "famous mountain" of Niigata Prefecture.
Echigofuji (越後富士) is another name given to this mountain. Being close to the border withNagano Prefecture, it is linked to those on the Nagano side as one of theFive Peaks in Hokushin (北信五岳,hokushingogaku). The mountain was originally named Mount Koshinonaka (越の中山,koshinonakayama) but was later changed to Mount Myōkō (名香山,Myōkōsan). This can be also written as 妙高山, in order to make use of two "lucky" characters.
Mount Myōkō was formed beginning about 300,000 years ago, in a series of eruptions producing a broad spectrum of lava types includingbasalt,andesite, anddacite. Its maximum height is estimated to have been between 2,800 metres (9,200 ft) and 2,900 metres (9,500 ft), but it presently reaches only 2,454 metres (8,051 ft). Around 19,000 years ago, the top was blown off in a majoreruption, forming a 3 km (2 mi) widecaldera. About 6,000 years ago, the central crater developed and assumed its present shape. Alava dome forms the volcano's present summit. The most recent eruptions about 4,300 years ago producedpyroclastic flows down the eastern flanks. Present activity is solfataric fromfumaroles near the lava dome wheresulfur was once mined.
There areonsen andski resorts at the foot of the mountain, including Akakura, Suginohara and Ikenotaira.
Theheavy cruiserMyōkō of theImperial Japanese Navy and anAegisdestroyer of theJapan Maritime Self-Defense Force are named after this mountain. The JR East train serviceMyōkō is also named after the mountain.
The mountain appears invariably in school songs of elementary and middle schools in theJōetsu Region.
In 1990 theNippon Jamboree, a camping festival, was held on the Myōkō plateau (妙高高原,myōkōkōgen) during which the participants climbed the mountain.
| Hokkaidō | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tōhoku region Jōshinetsu region | |||||||||
| Kantō region | |||||||||
| Chūbu region |
| ||||||||
| Western Japan | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
