Mount Tsurugi, Sacred mountain peak in Toyama Prefecture, Japan
Mount Tsurugi is a pyramid-shaped summit at 2999 meters in the Northern Japan Alps of Toyama Prefecture. The ascent follows steep rocky slopes and exposed ridges with technically demanding sections.
The first recorded ascent took place in 1907, when a climber discovered an old iron sword from medieval times at the summit. This find connected the peak with religious traditions and led to its current name.
The name Tsurugi appears in a 1585 letter by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The peak was long worshipped as the body of the deity Amanotajikarao, and pilgrims were barred from climbing it, viewing it instead as a "needle hell" from other summits.
Access begins from Murodo station on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route between July and early October. Metal chains and ladders secure the steepest sections on the way up.
This summit remained without official height measurement for a long time as the last major peak in Japan. The steep flanks and exposed position made early survey work particularly difficult.
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