Mount Kinshō, Limestone quarry in Ikeda, Japan.
Mount Kinshō is a limestone hill spanning the boundary between Ogaki and Ikeda in Gifu Prefecture. It was once a 217.1 m high massif with peaks such as Sarasa-yama and Atago-yama, but most of it has been quarried away; only the southeastern part around Myōjō-in remains. The whole hill consists of Permian Akasaka Limestone.
The limestone deposits formed over millions of years through accumulated marine organisms and mineral precipitation. Quarrying the stone became an important economic activity for the region over the past centuries.
The limestone from this mountain has shaped local craftsmanship and building traditions for generations. As you walk through the surrounding communities, you see structures and infrastructure made with stone quarried from this very place.
There are clear vantage points from which to view the mountain structure and mining operations on its slopes. Wear appropriate clothing and sturdy footwear if you plan to get closer to the steeper sections or observe the extraction sites.
The mountain's name is debated: most gazetteers and Gifu Prefecture use Kinshōzan, but some argue the official reading is Kanabuyama, a form still heard in the Kanabu Shrine and a 1905 school song. The name Kinshōzan itself comes from the mountain name of Myōjōrin-ji, founded in 686.
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