Ho-o Sanzan

Ridge of three peaks northeast of Mt. Kitadake: Mt. Jizodake (2,764 m), Mt. Kannondake (2,841 m), and Mt. Yakushidake (2,780 m). The pale granite summits appear snow-covered year-round. Each peak carries a name from Buddhist tradition: Jizo, Kannon, and Yakushi, all associated with protection and healing. The summit of Jizodake features a dramatic 20-meter rock spire called the Obelisk, first climbed by British missionary Walter Weston in the 1890s. Weston later published the first book on mountaineering in the Japanese Alps, and is often credited with introducing recreational mountain climbing to Japan.