is a

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and p ...

complex in the

Ōu Mountains The are a mountain range in the Tōhoku region of Honshū, Japan. The range is the longest range in Japan and stretches south from the Natsudomari Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture to the Nasu volcanoes at the northern boundary of the Kantō r ...

of western Iwate Prefecture, in the

Tōhoku region The , Northeast region, or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (''ken''): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku ret ...

of northern

Honshū , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island ...

, Japan. With an elevation of , it is the highest in Iwate Prefecture. It is included as one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan, a book composed in 1964 by

mountaineer Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, an ...

and author Kyūya Fukada.Hyakumeizan, Hiking Japan!
. Japan Gazetteer. Accessed June 27, 2008. The mountain is on the borders of the municipalities of Hachimantai,

Takizawa is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 55,325 in 23,270 households, and a population density of 300 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Takizawa is located in central Iwat ...

, and Shizukuishi, west of the prefectural capital of

Morioka is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. On 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 290,700 in 132,719 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . ...

. Much of the mountain is within the borders of the

Towada-Hachimantai National Park is a national park comprising two separate areas of Aomori, Iwate, and Akita Prefectures, Japan. The Towada-Hakkōda area encompasses Lake Towada, Mount Hakkōda, and most of the Oirase River valley. The Hachimantai area includes Mount ...

. The mountain is also referred to as the "Nanbu Fuji" for its resemblance to

Mount Fuji , or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highes ...

Geology

Mount Iwate consists of a younger eastern symmetrical stratovolcano (Higashi-Iwate, "East Iwate") overlapping an older western stratovolcano (Nishi-Iwate, "West Iwate") which has collapsed to form a caldera. Nishi-Iwate was formed approximately 700,000 years ago, and forms two-thirds of the mountain body. Higashi-Iwate was a later (300,000 years ago) parasitic volcano, which now forms the summit of the mountain. The oval-shaped, 1.8 x 3 km caldera of Nishi-Iwate has a 0.5 km wide crater, partially filled by a crater lake called Lake Onawashiro. Several somma including Yakushidake, the largest, surround the more recent Higashi Iwate crater rim. During the historical period, Mount Iwate erupted in 1686-1687 with a pyroclastic surge; however, the eruption of 1732 was much larger and resulted in a substantial lava flow on the northeast slopes of the mountain. This four-kilometre long lava flow ("Yakebashiri Lava Flow") has been designated a Natural Monument by the Japanese government. Mount Iwate has largely been quiet since 1732, with a small emission of steam and ash in 1919 and a series of volcanic earthquakes from 1998 to 2003.

References

External links

* - Japan Meteorological Agency
Iwate Volcano
- Geological Survey of Japan
Iwatesan
- Smithsonian Institution: Global Volcanism Program
- Hiking in Japan, Mount IwateIwate Prefectural Tourism siteHachimantai city tourism site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iwate Volcanoes of Honshū Stratovolcanoes of Japan Mountains of Iwate Prefecture Volcanoes of Iwate Prefecture Hachimantai, Iwate Takizawa, Iwate Shizukuishi, Iwate Highest points of Japanese national parks Pleistocene stratovolcanoes Holocene stratovolcanoes

Geology

See also

References

External links