National Parks · Tottori, Shimane, Okayama
Daisen-Oki National Park
大山隠岐国立公園だいせんおきこくりつこうえんDaisen-Oki Kokuritsu KōenThe sacred mountain of Hōki and the islands of exile
Daisen-Oki National Park joins Mount Daisen, the highest peak of the Chūgoku region, with the Hiruzen highlands, Mount Sanbe, the Shimane Peninsula and the Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan. Designated as Daisen National Park in 1936, it took its present shape and name in 1963.
Overview
Daisen-Oki National Park is a park in several parts, bound together by the old provinces of Hōki, Izumo and Oki. Its centrepiece is Daisen, a volcano of 1,729 m that dominates western Tottori and is known as Hōki-Fuji for its symmetrical profile from the west. To the south lie the grassy Hiruzen highlands on the Okayama border; to the west, Mount Sanbe in central Shimane and the rugged north coast of the Shimane Peninsula; offshore, the Oki Islands, some 40 to 80 km out in the Sea of Japan.
The park was designated on 1 February 1936 as Daisen National Park. In 1963 it was enlarged with the Oki Islands, the Shimane Peninsula and the Mount Sanbe area and renamed Daisen-Oki. The additions brought in a coast of sea cliffs and a region steeped in the mythology of Izumo.
The Oki Islands, whose geology and isolated ecosystems record the separation of Japan from the continent, became a Japanese geopark in 2009 and joined the Global Geoparks Network in 2013.
Landscape and formation
Daisen is a stratovolcano built up over the last million years or so; its last eruptions, which formed lava domes near the summit, took place a few tens of thousands of years ago. Erosion has since carved the northern and southern faces into sheer, crumbling walls, while the western flank keeps the smooth cone that gives the Hōki-Fuji view. The Hiruzen range to the south is an older, gentler group of volcanic peaks rising above a highland plateau.
Mount Sanbe is a younger volcano with a central crater surrounded by a ring of peaks; an eruption about 4,000 years ago buried a forest of cedar that has been excavated as the Sanbe Buried Forest. The Oki Islands are the remains of volcanoes that rose while the Sea of Japan was opening: the three western islands of Dōzen form the rim of a caldera, and wave erosion has cut them into cliffs such as Matengai, some 250 m high.
Highlights
- 大山Daisen
The highest peak of the Chūgoku region; hikers climb to the neighbouring summit of Misen (1,709 m), as the crumbling true summit is off-limits.
Hiruzen highlands
蒜山高原Hiruzen KōgenA grassy upland at the foot of the three Hiruzen peaks, known for its Jersey cattle.
Mount Sanbe
三瓶山Sanbe-sanA ring of volcanic peaks around a crater, highest point Osanbe (1,126 m), with grassy slopes and the Sanbe Buried Forest.
Kuniga Coast
国賀海岸Kuniga KaiganSea cliffs on Nishinoshima in the Oki Islands, with the great wall of Matengai and the rock arch Tsūtenkyō.
Rōsokujima
ローソク島RōsokujimaA candle-shaped sea stack off Dōgo; at sunset, seen from a boat, the sun seems to rest on its tip like a flame.
Hinomisaki
日御碕HinomisakiA cape at the western tip of the Shimane Peninsula with a tall white stone lighthouse and the shrine Hinomisaki Jinja.
Nature
Ecology
Daisen holds one of the largest beech forests in western Japan, rising to a zone of dwarf yew near the summit that is protected as a special natural monument. The Hiruzen and Sanbe grasslands are semi-natural, maintained by grazing and burning. The Oki Islands combine plants of northern and southern, alpine and coastal origin at low elevations and harbour endemic animals that evolved in isolation.
Flora
Daisen dwarf yew
ダイセンキャラボクDaisen kyarabokuA creeping form of Japanese yew forming pure stands near the summit, a special natural monument.
Siebold's beech
ブナbunaThe beech forest on Daisen's middle slopes, among the finest in western Japan.
Oki rhododendron
オキシャクナゲoki shakunageA local rhododendron of the Oki Islands, growing unusually low on Dōgo and flowering in spring.
Fauna
Oki salamander
オキサンショウウオOki sanshōuoA small salamander found only on Dōgo in the Oki Islands.
Streaked shearwater
オオミズナギドリōmizunagidoriA seabird breeding in burrows on small islands of the Oki group.
Asiatic black bear
ツキノワグマtsukinowagumaThe western Chūgoku population, which ranges into the Daisen and Hiruzen forests.
Culture
Daisen was a sacred mountain long before it was a hiking goal. The temple Daisen-ji, founded according to tradition in 718, grew into one of the great Tendai and mountain-ascetic centres of western Japan, and the shrine Ōgamiyama Jinja Okunomiya is approached by a long stone-paved path. The myth of Kunibiki in the Izumo Fudoki of 733 tells how a god pulled land from across the sea to enlarge Izumo, tethering it with ropes fastened to Daisen and Sanbe.
The Oki Islands were a place of exile for the defeated: Retired Emperor Go-Toba was banished there after the Jōkyū War of 1221 and died on Nakanoshima, and Emperor Go-Daigo escaped from Oki in 1333 to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate. The islands keep distinctive traditions such as bull sumo (ushi-zumō) on Dōgo.
Daisen-ji
大山寺Daisen-jiThe historic temple on the northern slope of Daisen, starting point of the main summit trail.
Ōgamiyama Jinja Okunomiya
大神山神社奥宮Ōgamiyama Jinja OkunomiyaA large shrine hall in the forest above Daisen-ji, reached by a long stone-paved approach.
Oki Shrine
隠岐神社Oki JinjaA shrine on Nakanoshima dedicated to Emperor Go-Toba, near the site of his exile.
- 出雲大社Izumo Ōyashiro
One of Japan's oldest and most important shrines, at the western end of the Shimane Peninsula near Hinomisaki.
History
718
Traditional founding date of the temple Daisen-ji.
733
The Izumo Fudoki records the Kunibiki myth, naming Daisen and Sanbe as the posts of the gods' ropes.
1221
Retired Emperor Go-Toba is exiled to the Oki Islands after the Jōkyū War.
1333
Emperor Go-Daigo escapes from exile on Oki.
1936
Daisen National Park is designated on 1 February.
1963
The Oki Islands, the Shimane Peninsula and Mount Sanbe are added and the park is renamed Daisen-Oki.
2013
The Oki Islands join the Global Geoparks Network, later a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Through the seasons
Spring
Snow lingers on Daisen into April while the lower beech forest turns fresh green in May; rhododendrons bloom on Oki.
Summer
The main climbing season on Daisen; cool grassland on Hiruzen and calm seas for Oki boat trips.
Autumn
Beech and maple colour on Daisen from mid-October, with the Kagikake Pass a noted viewpoint; pampas grass on Sanbe.
Winter
Daisen carries heavy snow and has ski areas on its northern slope; the Sea of Japan crossing to Oki is often rough.
Routes and trails
Natsuyama trail on Daisen
The standard route from Daisen-ji through beech forest to Misen, about three hours up, with a boardwalk across the summit's dwarf-yew zone.
Hiruzen three peaks
A ridge walk over Kami-Hiruzen, Naka-Hiruzen and Shimo-Hiruzen with wide views of Daisen.
Osanbe loop
Trails around and over the ring of peaks of Mount Sanbe, through grassland and forest.
Kuniga coast walk
A grassy clifftop path on Nishinoshima from Matengai to the arch of Tsūtenkyō, with grazing horses and cattle.
Practical notes
- Yonago is the gateway to Daisen, with an airport and JR Hakubi Line trains from Okayama; buses run up to Daisen-ji.
- Ferries and high-speed boats serve the Oki Islands from Shichirui and Sakaiminato; the Oki Islands also have an airport on Dōgo.
- Daisen's weather changes fast and its ridges are exposed; stay on marked trails, as the crumbling summit ridge is closed.
- Winter crossings to Oki are often cancelled in bad weather.
Frequently asked questions
How high is Daisen?
Its highest point, Kengamine, is 1,729 m, making Daisen the highest mountain in the Chūgoku region. Hikers usually stop at Misen (1,709 m).
Why is Daisen called Hōki-Fuji?
Seen from the west, around Yonago, its cone looks as symmetrical as Mount Fuji; Hōki is the old name of western Tottori.
Are the Oki Islands part of the national park?
Yes. They were added in 1963, when the park was renamed Daisen-Oki. They are also a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Which emperors were exiled to Oki?
Retired Emperor Go-Toba after 1221, who died there, and Emperor Go-Daigo in 1332, who escaped the following year.
Related
Sources
- 1.環境省_大山隠岐国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
- 2.環境省_国立公園_国立公園一覧 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
- 3.日本ジオパークネットワーク (opens in a new tab) — 日本ジオパークネットワーク (Japanese Geoparks Network)
- 4.National Parks of Japan (opens in a new tab) — Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan