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Ashizuri-Uwakai NP, Ehime / Kochi
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A 1657 plan by the Tosa domain to rebuild the summit shrine sparked a dispute with Uwajima. In 1873, officials marked the watershed as the border: Sasayama Shrine went to Ehime, while Yahazu Pond went to Kochi.
One summit koyamaki (Japanese umbrella pine) carries 14 kinds of plants growing on its trunk—yet it’s called the “Ten-color Koyamaki.” Its base measures 5.5 m around, and its trunk 4.2 m at chest height.
Local tradition credits Emperor Yōmei with establishing the shrine; it says Kūkai later prayed here for peace and good harvests. The summit sanctuary was called Sasayama Sansho Daigongen until 1871.
On the 88-temple pilgrimage, Sasayama was a bonus stop—not a numbered temple—and pilgrims often chose it instead of Mount Gassan. Its summit Kanzeonji temple was later abolished during the Meiji-era separation of Shinto and Buddhism.
On Sasayama, harimomi (Tigertail spruce) reaches the southern limit of its natural range. The summit grove includes trees with trunks 1 m across—an extraordinary outpost of this conifer in southwest Shikoku.
The summit forest’s giant cedar is estimated to be 1,000 years old; its trunk measures 6.5 m around at chest height. It stands within the 13-hectare natural forest designated a town natural monument.
From late April into early May, akebono azaleas and rhododendrons bloom across Sasayama’s slopes. The summit’s old azalea groves make the mountain famous for a brief, brilliant burst of spring color.
