Mount Tsurugi (Tokushima)
# Mount Tsurugi (Tokushima)

Mount Tsurugi (剣山, Tsurugi-san), meaning sword, is a 1,954.7-metre-high (6,413.1 ft) mountain on the border of Miyoshi, Mima and Naka in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. This mountain is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains.

## Outline

Mount Tsurugi is the second highest mountain on the island of Shikoku, and also the second highest mountain west of Mount Haku, which is on the border of Ishikawa and Gifu prefectures in central Japan.

Mount Tsurugi is an important object of worship in this region and one of the centers of Shugendō, a sect of mixture of Shinto and Buddhism. On the top of the mountain, there is a small shrine called ‘Tsurugi Jinja’.

The area around Mount Tsurugi is a major part of Tsurugi Quasi-National Park.

## Climate

Mount Tsurugi has an altitude-affected humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with mild summers and cold winters.

Climate data for Mount Tsurugi (1961−1990 normals, extremes 1961-2001) :

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.1 (46.6) | 10.7 (51.3) | 13.9 (57.0) | 19.9 (67.8) | 20.8 (69.4) | 22.8 (73.0) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.2 (75.6) | 22.7 (72.9) | 19.1 (66.4) | 16.0 (60.8) | 12.6 (54.7) | 24.8 (76.6) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −4.1 (24.6) | −3.1 (26.4) | 0.5 (32.9) | 7.1 (44.8) | 11.4 (52.5) | 14.4 (57.9) | 17.9 (64.2) | 18.2 (64.8) | 15.2 (59.4) | 9.8 (49.6) | 5.0 (41.0) | −0.8 (30.6) | 7.7 (45.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −7.3 (18.9) | −6.6 (20.1) | −3.3 (26.1) | 3.3 (37.9) | 7.7 (45.9) | 11.3 (52.3) | 15.1 (59.2) | 15.3 (59.5) | 12.1 (53.8) | 6.3 (43.3) | 1.3 (34.3) | −4.3 (24.3) | 4.2 (39.6) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −10.3 (13.5) | −9.9 (14.2) | −6.9 (19.6) | −0.3 (31.5) | 4.3 (39.7) | 8.6 (47.5) | 12.9 (55.2) | 13.2 (55.8) | 9.6 (49.3) | 3.3 (37.9) | −1.9 (28.6) | −7.3 (18.9) | 1.3 (34.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −19.2 (−2.6) | −23.5 (−10.3) | −19.1 (−2.4) | −13.2 (8.2) | −7.0 (19.4) | −0.7 (30.7) | 4.8 (40.6) | 5.8 (42.4) | −1.2 (29.8) | −7.6 (18.3) | −13.5 (7.7) | −18.1 (−0.6) | −23.5 (−10.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 126.4 (4.98) | 146.9 (5.78) | 207.6 (8.17) | 210.9 (8.30) | 277.7 (10.93) | 463.3 (18.24) | 435.0 (17.13) | 517.0 (20.35) | 533.1 (20.99) | 223.7 (8.81) | 138.8 (5.46) | 90.8 (3.57) | 3,371.2 (132.71) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 87 (34) | 89 (35) | 72 (28) | 17 (6.7) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.4) | 11 (4.3) | 48 (19) | 327 (129) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 16.9 | 15.1 | 16.6 | 13.1 | 12.7 | 15.6 | 16.3 | 15.5 | 15.6 | 11.8 | 10.1 | 13.1 | 172.4 |
| Average snowy days | 20.3 | 18.2 | 15.1 | 3.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 5.5 | 15.0 | 79.6 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 81 | 81 | 80 | 76 | 75 | 85 | 90 | 91 | 89 | 80 | 76 | 78 | 82 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 112.1 | 110.7 | 145.7 | 157.6 | 168.7 | 112.3 | 110.5 | 113.8 | 99.0 | 128.5 | 123.5 | 122.6 | 1,505 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 36 | 36 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 37 | 40 | 40 | 34 |
| Source 1: NOAA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: JMA (precipitation and extremes) ||||||||||||||

## Access

* The main trailhead, along with parking lots, shops and restaurants, is located at Minokoshi, at the intersection of national routes 438 and 439. From Minokoshi, climbers may also ride a chairlift to a higher point on the trail.
* Trails link the summit of Mount Tsurugi to neighboring mountains. Tsurugi can be reached from the east via Ichinomori, while an extensive network of trails to the west allows access from mountains such as Jirogyu, Miune, and Tengu-zuka.
* Tsurugi Jinja (Tsurugi Shrine) on the top of Mount Tsurugi
* Mount Jirogyu from the top of Mount Tsurugi
* A view of the middle of Mount Tsurugi
* Another view of the middle of Mount Tsurugi
