Nihonkoku, Mountain summit in Murakami and Tsuruoka, Japan

Nihonkoku is a mountain summit on the border between Murakami and Tsuruoka in Japan. The peak rises through cedar and mixed forests, with three marked trails each starting from a different point in the surrounding area.

The name appears in records by 1645, when the Shonai ezu map marks "Ikumasawa-yama, Echigo border". A 1762 gazetteer notes that a place called Nihonkoku once stood on the Echigo-Dewa border but no longer existed. The Awatami town history records a legend that a hawk caught here was presented to the shogun and praised as peerless in Japan, giving the mountain its name; the hunter, lord and shogun are unnamed.

The name is explained by a local legend: a hawk caught on the mountain was presented to the shogun, who praised it as matchless in Japan and gave the peak its name. The tale names neither the falconer, the lord nor the shogun. Since 1981 a climbing event has been held here, and the summit banner read "Conquest of Nihonkoku" until 2013, when about 45 complaints led to the certificate being renamed "Nihonkoku Summit Certificate".

The mountain is open to hikers from April through November, with trailheads at Nakanomata, Omata, and Zaodo. The three routes differ in length and difficulty, so it is worth choosing one that matches your pace and experience.

On a clear day, the summit offers views of the Sea of Japan, Chokai-san, and the Asahi Range all at once. This wide view in three directions is unusual for a peak of this height.