Mount Minami Katsuragi Explained

Mount Minami Katsuragi
Other Name:	南葛城山 Minami Katsuragi-san
Photo Alt:	Mount Minami Katsuragi as seen from the slope of Mount Iwawaki
Map:	Japan
Map Alt:	Location in Japan of Mount Minami Katsuragi in Japan
Location:	Mount Minami Katsuragi is located between Kawachinagano, Osaka and Hashimoto, Wakayama, Japan
Coordinates:	34.3569°N 135.5386°W
Elevation M:	922
Translation:	South Kudzu Castle Mountain
Language:	Japanese
Range:	Kongō Range

is the tallest mountain in the Izumi Mountains within the Kongō Range, straddling the border between Osaka and Wakayama Prefectures in Japan. Its peak elevation is 922m (3,025feet).

Location and naming

Mount Minami Katsuragi is a remote mountain located on the prefectural border between Kawachinagano, Osaka and Hashimoto, Wakayama, Japan. With a peak elevation of 922m (3,025feet), it is the highest peak in the Izumi Mountains, a group of mountains part of the larger Kongō Range. It is one of the mountains listed as one of the Osaka 50 Mountains,^[1] and is the highest peak in Wakayama Prefecture.

Environs

There are not a lot of extreme mountain climbers ascending this peak, so Mount Minami Katsuragi is generally quiet, with few climbers. The sides of the mountain are covered in Japanese cedar and Sasa veitchii, or bamboo grass.

Access and amenities

The summit has a number of benches and chairs from which to view the scenery, including stands of Japanese cedar which surround the overlook.

There are a number of trails leading up the mountain. The most common routes are listed below:

• The first starts northwest of the mountain at Takihata Dam, follows the Diamond Trail east to the Mount Iwawaki trailhead, follows the to the . This leads to the, from where you can go up to the summit.^[2]
• Starting to the east at, go west on the Diamond Trail to the, which will take you up to the top.^[2]
• Within is . The trail from there leads you toward Mount Iwawaki. About 10 minutes before reaching Mount Iwawaki, turn off at and follow the Mount Minami Katsuragi Fork to the summit.^[2]
• Beginning the hike at, follow the signs on the trail until you reach the summit. This route is much longer than most others as it zigzags a lot while going up the mountain. This route is also the most rugged, steep, strenuous, and dangerous.^[2]

See also

• Mount Izumi Katsuragi
• Mount Naka Katsuragi
• Mount Yamato Katsuragi

Notes and References

1. Book: 大阪50山. Osaka 50 Mountains. Japanese. Osaka Prefectural Mountain Federation (大阪府山岳連盟). Nakanishiya Shuppan. 9784888487405. October 1, 2002. Kyoto, Japan.
2. Web site: ダイヤモンドトレール. Diamond Trail. PDF. Osaka Prefectural Government. Japanese. April 20, 2015. July 1, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150701191803/http://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/attach/15501/00092565/ura.pdf. live.