is a mountainous region covering most of the

Kii Peninsula The is the largest peninsula on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is named after the ancient Kii Province. Overview The area south of the “ Central Tectonic Line” is called , and is home to reef-like coral communities which are amongst ...

. They lie south of the

Japan Median Tectonic Line , also Median Tectonic Line (MTL), is Japan's longest fault system. The MTL begins near Ibaraki Prefecture, where it connects with the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line (ISTL) and the Fossa Magna. It runs parallel to Japan's volcanic arc, passing ...

(MTL) in

Wakayama Wakayama may refer to: *Wakayama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan *Wakayama (city) Wakayama City Hall is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 351,391 in 157066 househol ...

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

, and Mie prefectures. The mountains are arranged roughly northeast to southwest.

History

During the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

Shugendō is a highly syncretic religion, a body of ascetic practices that originated in the Nara Period of Japan having evolved during the 7th century from an amalgamation of beliefs, philosophies, doctrines and ritual systems drawn from local fol ...

flourished in these mountains. In 2004 it became part of a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Cultural and Natural Heritage site, under the name "

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the Kii Peninsula in Japan. Selection criteria The locations and paths for this heritage site were based on their historical and modern imp ...

" In the Northern regions of the mountains, Yoshino and Omine have the oldest sacred traditions where followers of Shugendo, have been practising their faith within the forests since the seventh century. Kumano Sanzan is in the Southern area of the ranges and has three significant Buddhist shrines devoted to nature worship. Around Koyasan, 117 temples represent over one thousand years of worship and are linked by networks of pilgrim routes through the steep peaks and glades of the Kii mountains.

Geography

The highest peak is

Mount Hakkyō is a mountain of Omine Mountains, which is located on the border of Tenkawa and Kamikitayama, Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Outline This mountain is the tallest mountain in Kansai Region including Nara Prefecture. This mountain ...

in the Ōmine Mountains. Other peaks in the central group are

Mount Shakka is a mountain in the Ōmine Mountains in Japan. It marks part of the border between Totsukawa, Nara, Totsukawa and Shimokitayama, Nara, Shimokitayama in Yoshino District of Nara Prefecture. References Geographical Survey Institute
Mountai ...

(1800m) and Mount Sanjō (1719m). To the East in the Daikō Mountains is

Mount Ōdaigahara , also is a mountain in the Daikō Mountain Range on the border between the prefectures of Mie and Nara, Japan. It is the highest in Mie at . Walking trails from the Nara side start from a car park at about 1400 metres. The mountain is famous ...

(1695m). In the South is Mount Daitō 大塔山(1122m). The Obako Mountains separate Nara Prefecture from Wakayama Prefecture.

Yoshino-Kumano National Park is a national park comprising several non-contiguous areas of Mie, Nara, and Wakayama Prefectures, Japan. Established in 1936, the park includes Mount Yoshino, celebrated for its cherry blossoms, as well as elements of the UNESCO World Heritag ...

is located in the Kii Mountains.

Geology

Along with the

Shikoku Mountains Shikoku Mountains () is a mountain range that runs from east to west in the central part of the Shikoku in Japan. The length of the mountain range is about 250km. The highest peak in the mountain range is Mount Ishizuchi is a mountain on the ...

, the Kii Mountains form the outer arc of the Southwestern Japan Arc. The mountains are mostly domed upthrusts of sedimentary rock from the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...

and

Lower Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 Ma to 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago). It was prece ...

References

{{reflist Mountain ranges of Nara Prefecture Mountain ranges of Wakayama Prefecture Mountain ranges of Mie Prefecture