Mt. Takeyama

Mt. Takeyama’s tilted shape makes it one of the most recognizable mountains on the Satsuma Peninsula. It was created when igneous rocks from a volcanic explosion, estimated to have occurred between 50,000 to 60,000 years ago, suddenly cooled and solidified, and were later covered by another layer of magma. According to legend, long-nosed tengu goblins and other supernatural beings inhabited both the 200-meter peak and the foothills, so in deference to them a local shrine was built halfway up the mountain.