Hayachine-san (Mount Hayachine)

Overview

At 1,917 meters, it is the highest peak of the Kitakami Mountains. Multiple Hayachine Jinja (Hayachine Shrines) are enshrined at the summit and the base (in locations such as Osako-machi in Hanamaki City, Tsukumanushi-machi in Tono City, and Enatsu in Miyako City), and mountain worship has flourished here since ancient times. The 'Hayachine Kagura' (Otshō Kagura and Take Kagura) performed in the Taku settlement at the base is a heroic dance performed with swords in hand, and was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. The area features alpine plants with a high rate of endemic species (such as Hayachineus yukisō) growing in the serpentinite zone, and it has been selected as one of the 'One Hundred Famous Mountains of Flowers'.

Highlights

• ・Highest peak of the Kitakami Mountains at 1,917 meters
• ・UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Hayachine Kagura
• ・Multiple Hayachine Jinja (Hayachine Shrines) at the summit and base
• ・Endemic species such as Hayachineus yukisō