Mount Mitoku
Mount Mitoku is a mountain located in Misasa, Tottori Prefecture. Mount Mitoku has an elevation of. Mount Mitoku was known from ancient times as a place of both religious significance and scenic beauty. The mountain is home to Sanbutsu-ji, a historically significant temple designated an Important Treasure of Japan in 1952.
Etymology
The name of Mount Mitoku in Japanese is formed from two kanji. The first,, means "three" and the second, means "virtue". Santoku therefore refers to the three primary virtues of Buddhism: wisdom, renunciation, and judgement. Mount Mitoku was historically also written as 三美山 in Japanese,, meaning three and meaning beautiful, but the pronunciation remained the same.Geography
Mount Mitoku was formed from a volcanic eruption approximately 15 million years ago in the Pleistocene period. The layers of granite and other conglomerates at the base of the mountain were transformed by a volcano into large pyroxene deposits. Mount Mitoku eroded over time by wind and rain. Erosion on the southern side of the mountain created steep cliffs of to. Two rivers emerge from the slopes of Mount Mitoku: the Kotori River, which forms a deep valley, and one small unnamed river. The steep slopes of Mount Mitoku have created three waterfalls: namely, the Fudō, the Mahebi, and the Ryūtokuin. As the waterfalls are located deep in the primeval forest of Mount Mitoku, they are inaccessible to hikers.Flora
Mount Dōgo features outstanding examples of numerous trees, including the:- Shiba chestnut
- Oak
- Kousa Dogwood