Mt. Asama

Mt. Asama at 555 meters is the highest point in Ise-Shima National Park, and the serpentinite soil near its summit limits tree growth, giving the summit area an open, almost lunar quality with unobstructed views of Ise Bay, the islands of Toba Bay, and the Pacific. A hot footbath near the viewpoint invites a longer stay, and a 15-minute walking route passes patches of jingu-tsutsuji, a rare azalea variety found here. Near the top is Kongoshoji Temple, founded in the ninth century, with a lily pond crossed by a red arched bridge and a cemetery where unusually tall wooden grave tablets stand along the approach.