Gassan

Japanese: 月山 - がっさん

A volcano in central Yamagata Prefecture, designated as a national natural monument. Also known as Mt. Kuroushiyama. Elevation 1984m. Located between Tsuruoka City and Shonai Town. One of the Dewa Sanzan, along with Mt. Haguro and Mt. Yudono. A shield volcano located at the southern end of the Chokai volcanic belt, it looks like a manju hat placed on top of Mt. Dewa when viewed from the Yamagata Basin. The basement geology is granite, and the lava is pyroxene andesite. The mountain has been eroded below the mid-mountain, and the slope is particularly steep on the west side. The mid-mountain on the north side is gently sloping, and Midagahara is a natural conservation site with an abundance of alpine plants such as Hemerocallis nikkoi, Veratrum kobaikeiso (→ Veratrum veratrum (plum blossom grass)), and Miyamasuyukisou (Miyamau thin snow grass). Gassan Shrine is located at the summit, and the view is magnificent. It has been a center of faith for ascetic monks since ancient times. Part of Bandai-Asahi National Park. The Gassan Road runs from Tekata to Midagahara on the middle slope, and the Yudono Toll Road runs from the eastern part of Tsuruoka City to the northern foot of Mount Yudono.

Gassan Gassan

A mountain in Hirose, Yasugi City, eastern Shimane Prefecture. It has an altitude of 192m. In the mountains are the ruins of Toda Castle (historic site), the residence of the Amako clan, and at the foot of the mountain are Iwakura-dera Temple, Mikomori Shrine, and the grave of Yoshiharu Horio. It belongs to Shimizu Gassan Prefectural Natural Park.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

山形県中部にある火山で，国指定天然記念物。別称犂牛山 (くろうしやま) 。標高 1984m。鶴岡市と庄内町の間に位置する。羽黒山，湯殿山とともに出羽三山の一つ。鳥海火山帯の南端に位置する楯状火山で，山形盆地から望むと出羽山地上にまんじゅう笠を載せたように見える。基盤の地質は花崗岩で溶岩は輝石安山岩からなる。中腹以下は浸食を受け，特に西側は急斜面。北側の中腹付近は緩傾斜で，弥陀ヶ原にはニッコウキスゲ，コバイケイソウ (→バイケイソウ〈梅蕙草〉 ) ，ミヤマウスユキソウ (深山薄雪草)などの高山植物が豊富にみられ，自然保護の対象になっている。山頂には月山神社があり展望は雄大。古くから修験者の信仰の中心地。磐梯朝日国立公園の一部。手向から中腹の弥陀ヶ原までは月山道路，鶴岡市東部から湯殿山北麓までは湯殿山有料道路が通っている。