7 Mountains in Shimane worth your time

The highest peak on Chiburijima Island offering 360-degree views, grazing livestock, and historical stone walls within a UNESCO Global Geopark.

What it is

• The highest peak on Chiburijima Island standing at 325 meters elevation.
• A site within the Oki Islands UNESCO Global Geopark featuring volcanic trachybasalt.
• A historical location where Emperor Go-Daigo stayed at mountain temples in 1332.
• A landscape marked by historical stone farming boundaries called Myogaki.

What to see

• A 360-degree panoramic observation deck located at the summit.
• Cattle and horses grazing freely on the mountain slopes.
• Ancient stone walls used to mark historical farming boundaries.
• Archaeological sites where obsidian arrowheads were discovered near the peak.

When to go

• Visit from April to May to see wild radishes blooming along the paths.

Getting there

• The summit is accessible by a 20-minute car ride from Kurii Port.

Read more about Mt. Akahage

A 957-meter lava dome in Shimane offering panoramic views via a tourist lift and short summit hike.

What it is

• A lava dome standing at an elevation of 957 meters.
• The only peak of Mount Sanbe located within the Iishi District.
• A grassland habitat preserved through experimental cattle grazing.
• Home to the rare butterfly species Melitaea protomedia and Valeriana fauriei plants.

What to see

• An observation deck located near the mountain top.
• A television relay station situated directly on the summit.
• Exposed granite formations on the ridge leading toward Mount Osanbe.
• A tourist lift that transports visitors from Higashinohara to the ridge.

Getting there

• Take the tourist lift from Higashinohara to reach the mountain ridge.
• Walk twenty minutes from the lift terminal to reach the summit.

Read more about Mount Mesanbe

A 330-meter mountain in Yasugi featuring late sixth-century burial mounds and panoramic views of Mount Daisen and the Shimane Peninsula.

What it is

• A 330-meter mountain in Yasugi City formerly known as Kannodai.
• The site contains the Hinataone Tumulus Group near the summit.
• Nearly forty burial mounds have been identified across the Uenodai area.
• The burial mounds date back to the late sixth century.

What to see

• Nine burial mounds including two distinct keyhole-shaped tumuli.
• Views of Mount Daisen and the Shimane Peninsula from the summit.
• The Tsukisaka Jomon period ruins located one kilometer to the south.
• A view of Mount Hiba where the deity Izanami is reportedly buried.

Getting there

• Accessible by car via Prefectural Road 9.
• The drive from Yasugi Interchange takes approximately forty minutes.

Read more about Mount Uenodai

An active volcano in Daisen-Oki National Park featuring six peaks surrounding a central crater lake and ancient buried forests.

What it is

• An active volcano in the Daisen Volcanic Zone within Shimane Prefecture
• Part of the Daisen-Oki National Park with peaks reaching 1,126 meters
• A site of volcanic activity estimated to have started 100,000 years ago
• Historically known as Sahimeyama in the Izumo no Kuni Fudoki records

What to see

• Six distinct peaks surrounding the Muronouchi central explosion crater
• The Muronouchi Pond located inside the volcanic crater
• A designated national natural monument consisting of natural forest
• The Sanbe Azukihara Buried Forest featuring preserved ancient trees
• The Shimane Nature Museum of Mt. Sanbe located near the mountain
• A chairlift providing access to the Higashinohara area

Official site

www.ginzan-wm.jp

Read more about Mount Sanbe

A 599-meter mountain featuring a historic shrine founded in 889 and modern broadcasting towers with panoramic views.

What it is

• A mountain peak reaching an elevation of 599 meters in Hamada City.
• Home to Taimasan Shrine which was originally founded in the year 889.
• A site for regional communication infrastructure including a television tower completed in 1961.
• A broadcasting hub used by NHK and San-in Broadcasting since the early 1960s.

What to see

• The historic Taimasan Shrine buildings located on the mountain.
• A prominent television tower and multiple wireless relay antennas at the summit.

When to go

• The annual summer festival held on the last Sunday of July.

Read more about Mount Taima

The highest peak in Yamaguchi Prefecture, offering scenic climbing routes through gorges and across regional borders.

What it is

• The highest mountain peak in Yamaguchi Prefecture at 1,337 meters.
• A destination listed as one of the 100 Famous Mountains in Chugoku.
• A natural landmark situated on the border of Yamaguchi and Shimane.
• A hiking destination featuring routes that connect to neighboring Hiroshima Prefecture.

What to see

• The Jakuchikyo Gorge which serves as a designated climbing course.
• Views from the summit reaching an elevation of 1,337 meters.
• The Jakuchi Forest Road used as a primary climbing route.
• The Matsunoki Pass course leading toward Mount Kanmuri.

Read more about Mount Jakuchi

The highest peak entirely within Shimane Prefecture, offering hikers natural beech forests and trails through a quasi-national park.

What it is

• A mountain standing 1,263.2 meters above sea level in Shimane Prefecture.
• The highest peak located entirely within the borders of Shimane.
• Part of the Nishi-Chugoku Sanchi Quasi-National Park system.
• A mountain mass characterized by a ridge extending north and south.

What to see

• Natural beech forests growing across the mountain mass.
• The site of a 600-year-old Mongolian oak tree that fell in 2019.
• Hiking trails including the Okutani, Iharadani, and Gogi-no-Sato routes.
• A trail beginning from the Azoji Tunnel located below the ridge.

Read more about Azōji San