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Minami Alps NP, Yamanashi
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Each spring, a dark “farm ox” seems to appear on Kannondake’s east slope as snow melts, cueing fieldwork near Nirasaki. An Edo-era gazetteer described a white ox; after years of doubt, a rare white one appeared in 1978.
In 1902, surveyors set a triangulation marker on today’s summit, yet recorded that local names conflicted: Yakushidake, Nakanodake and Nogyū-no-dake. Even “Hōō Mountain” had 3 competing definitions.
Late summer brings Hōō-shajin, a delicate purple bellflower found only on Hōō Sanzan. It grows among rocky crevices along the ridge—a tiny local specialist against Kannondake’s pale granite.
Kannondake is the middle and highest of Hōō Sanzan, and its name honors Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. Its neighbors are Jizodake, protector of children and travelers, and Yakushidake, Buddha of healing.
From a distance, Hōō Sanzan’s summits can look snow-covered even in summer. The pale “snow” is light-colored granite, giving Kannondake its distinctive bright summit ridge.
On 1 April 2014, Kannondake’s listed height went from 2,840 to 2,841 m—not because the peak grew, but after its triangulation-point elevation was revised.
