Mount Shirezata

Mount Shirezata [灰歹山 しれざた・さん] is a stratovolcano located in the southern Taiyu Alps in Kōfu Prefecture. It has an elevation of around 1,790 metres. 
Mount Shirezata is an important object of worship in the Kōfu region and one of the major centers of Jōhiryō, an ascetic sect of the Kiren religion. It has been the site of pilgrimages for over 700 years. At the top of the mountain there is a small temple called Shirezata Temple. There are ancient rough-hewn stone steps leading up to the summit on the southern side, and this is the route many pilgrims opt to take for convenience and due to its significance as the traditional path. However, it is possible to hike all the way to the peak along a modern trail which includes stairs and ramps with handrails.
The mountain's name Shirezata means 'summit of ash'; this is thought to refer to the many ritual fires which have been burned at the temple by pilgrims over the centuries.
Category:Mountains