Mount Matsuo

Mount Matsuo
松尾山
A View of Mt. Matsuo from Mount Shirakami
Highest point
Elevation	687 m (2,254 ft)
Coordinates	35°2′N 135°8′E
Naming
Language of name	Japanese
Pronunciation	[matsɯ.o]
Geography
Location	Sasayama, Hyōgo , Japan
Parent range	Tamba Highland

Mount Matsuo (松尾山, Matsuo-yama) is a 687-metre-high (2,254 ft) mountain in Sasayama, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Another name is Mount Kosen-ji, literally, "Mountain of Kosen-ji."

Religion and History

Mount Matsuo is one of the major objects of worships for the people in this area. On this mountain, a Buddhist temple named ‘Kosen-ji’ was established in 645 by Hodo Sennin. This temple was re-established by Denkyo Taishi in the 9th century. The temple was burned by Akechi Mitsuhide in the 16th century, but re-established again by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In the Edo period, it is said that there were 28 monk houses in the mountain. Kosen-ji was also destroyed as a result of the Shinbutsu bunri, literally, Shinto-Buddhism-separation.

Sakai Castle once stood on the top of this mountain; however, it was destroyed after the decline of the Sakai clan.

Access

• Furuichi Station of Fukuchiyama Line
• Sasayamaguchi Station of Fukuchiyama Line

References

• the Geographical Survey Institute in Japan
• ‘Shinban Furusato Hyogo 50 San’, Hyōgoken Sangaku Renmei

• 
  Jizō statues among the ruins of Kosen-ji
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  Other Jizō statues among the ruins of Kosen-ji
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  Ruins of Kosen-ji